Department for Transport

Petrol Retailers Association

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to allow the Petrol Retailers Association to have online access to the DVLA registers of offenders who (a) make off without payment and (b) have no means to pay.

Jesse Norman: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold a register of offenders who have failed to pay for fuel. The DVLA keeps a register of vehicle keepers who are responsible for the registration and licensing of vehicles in the UK. The theft of fuel is a criminal offence. The DVLA already provides the police with full access to vehicle keeper information for vehicle-related crime, including fuel theft. Fuel retailers and their agents, who do not involve the police, can already request information from the DVLA’s records using a paper-based enquiry service.

A1 (M): Speed Limits

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons there is a 40 mph temporary speed limit on the A1M north and south of the junction with the A14; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: This work is part of a £1.5 billion investment to upgrade the A14 in Cambridgeshire and widen the A1 to three lanes between Brampton and Alconbury. The narrow lanes are in place to allow for preparatory works to be carried out close to the existing carriageway and allow for traffic to be put into contraflow safely as required. The speed restriction is necessary to create a safe working environment for construction teams and protect road users as they travel through the works. There is also a requirement to aid recovery operations in this area, which requires the 40mph speed limit to do so safely for everyone.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Housing: Sevenoaks

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of adequacy and timeliness of Sevenoaks District Council's new Housing Strategy.

Alok Sharma: We have not made any assessment of Sevenoaks District Council's housing strategy. There is no specific requirement for my Department to assess the housing strategy of each Local Authority, however, the Secretary of State appoints the Planning Inspectorate to independently assess each Local Plan to ensure it is sound prior to their adoption.

Non-domestic Rates

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consideration he has given to redistributing the share of business rates that central Government receives to help relieve financial pressures on local authorities.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government has always been clear that increased rates retention by local government would need to be matched and funded by equivalent devolution of new responsibilities or the ending of grants. The assessment of the overall level of funding for local government is a function of the Spending Review.

Councillors: Females

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the Government's policy is on the recommendation of the Fawcett Society in its report Does local government work for women, published in July 2017, that data on the make-up of local council candidates and councillors must be collected in a uniform format and must include protected characteristics like age, ethnicity, and disability.

Mr Marcus Jones: My Department welcomes the work of the Fawcett Society in shining a light on the barriers facing women in local government leadership roles. I am keen to explore the issues raised by the report in more detail so I will be holding a round table discussion with the Fawcett Society and with key stakeholders in local government.

Private Rented Housing: Newham

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with (a) HM Revenue and Customs, (b) Home Office Immigration Enforcement, (c) the Metropolitan Police and (d) London Fire Brigade on assessing the application from London Borough of Newham to re-authorise its private landlord licensing scheme.

Alok Sharma: My Department received letters from HM Revenue and Customs, Home Office Immigration Enforcement, the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade, in respect of the London Borough of Newham’s application to re-authorise its private landlord licensing scheme.

Council Housing: Construction

Dr David Drew: To ask The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what criteria he plans to use to define an area of high affordability pressure in order for a local authority to seek additional resources to build more council homes.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what maintaining procedures he plans to put in place to measure the performance of local authorities which bid for the £1 billion made available by the Government for the building of council homes.

Alok Sharma: My department will publish advice shortly on how local authorities in areas of high affordability pressures can bid for additional borrowing to build new homes.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Space Technology

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department supports the development of a domestic UK satellite launch capability.

Joseph Johnson: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 22 November 2017.The correct answer should have been:

This Government wants the UK to be the go-to place for researchers, innovators and investors across the world. We have made a landmark commitment to work with industry to boost spending on Research and Development (R&D) to 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027. The work could increase public and private R&D investment by as much as £80 billion over the next 10 years. This will start with government making an extra investment of £2.3 billion in 2021/22, raising total public investment in R&D to £12.5 billion that year alone. As part of our ambition for a new deep and special partnership with the EU, recognising our shared interest in maintaining and strengthening research collaboration, the UK will seek an agreement that promotes science and innovation across Europe now and in the future. This includes continued collaboration in vital sectors such as life sciences that, through programmes such as the Innovative Medicines Initiative, help deliver better care for patients in the UK, member states and around the world. While we remain a member of the EU, UK businesses and universities should continue to bid for competitive EU funds, and we will work with the Commission to ensure payment when funds are awarded. The Government will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. This includes awards that are bid for before exit that are successful after exit. The Government has an exciting ambition to take the UK into the commercial space age. We are actively supporting the development of a commercial market for small satellite launch and sub-orbital flight in the UK, by helping industry to develop new technologies, infrastructure and services. This will establish the UK as a world leading destination for space launch.  We are putting in place new regulation, working internationally to secure agreements and evaluating proposals for grants that would help get the first missions from the UK off the ground. We welcome engagement from any company seeking to offer small satellite launch capability from a UK spaceport.

Joseph Johnson: This Government wants the UK to be the go-to place for researchers, innovators and investors across the world. We have made a landmark commitment to work with industry to boost spending on Research and Development (R&D) to 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027. The work could increase public and private R&D investment by as much as £80 billion over the next 10 years. This will start with government making an extra investment of £2.3 billion in 2021/22, raising total public investment in R&D to £12.5 billion that year alone. As part of our ambition for a new deep and special partnership with the EU, recognising our shared interest in maintaining and strengthening research collaboration, the UK will seek an agreement that promotes science and innovation across Europe now and in the future. This includes continued collaboration in vital sectors such as life sciences that, through programmes such as the Innovative Medicines Initiative, help deliver better care for patients in the UK, member states and around the world. While we remain a member of the EU, UK businesses and universities should continue to bid for competitive EU funds, and we will work with the Commission to ensure payment when funds are awarded. The Government will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. This includes awards that are bid for before exit that are successful after exit. The Government has an exciting ambition to take the UK into the commercial space age. We are actively supporting the development of a commercial market for small satellite launch and sub-orbital flight in the UK, by helping industry to develop new technologies, infrastructure and services. This will establish the UK as a world leading destination for space launch.  We are putting in place new regulation, working internationally to secure agreements and evaluating proposals for grants that would help get the first missions from the UK off the ground. We welcome engagement from any company seeking to offer small satellite launch capability from a UK spaceport.

Commercial Secrets: EU Law

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timetable is for transposing the European Trade Secrets Directive into UK law.

Joseph Johnson: Article 19 of the European Trade Secrets Directive states that Member States must transpose the provisions in the Directive by 9 June 2018. The Government is working towards implementing the Directive into UK law by this date so complying with its obligations under EU law.

Commercial Secrets: EU Law

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to introduce any new criminal offence in UK law as a result of the transposition into UK law of the European Trade Secrets Directive.

Joseph Johnson: The European Trade Secrets Directive provides minimum standards concerning civil proceedings relating to measures, procedures and remedies that trade secret holders should be able to rely on in the event of unlawful acquisition, use or disclosure of their trade secrets. The Directive does not relate to the criminalisation of the misappropriation of trade secrets. Consequently, the Government does not have any plans to introduce any new criminal offence as a result of transposing the Directive into UK law.

Small Businesses

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has contingency plans to assist small businesses' supply chains in the event of there being no deal at the end of UK negotiations to exit the EU.

Margot James: Although the changes business will face are subject to negotiations with our EU partners, we are committed to minimising disruption and giving as much certainty as possible. That’s why the Government is pursuing a time-limited implementation period to allow business the time they need to adapt to new arrangements. Government will be working alongside trade associations and others to communicate to businesses the changes in the UKs trading relationship with the EU, ensuring that they are ready for day one of exit regardless of the outcome of the negotiations.

Intellectual Property

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what potential risks to the integrity of the UK’s intellectual property regime he has identified when the UK leaves the EU.

Joseph Johnson: The UK has one of the best intellectual property (IP) regimes in the world, and leaving the EU will not change that: we will continue to deliver quality rights granting services, lead the world in enforcement and engage in international IP discussions. The Government is considering options to ensure that the UK’s IP regime will continue to support business and innovation in the future.

Intellectual Property

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what opportunities he has identified to improve intellectual property protection in international markets as the UK negotiates new trading relationships.

Joseph Johnson: Trade in intellectual property (IP) is an important part of the UK’s economy. The UK’s global exports of IP services[1] totalled £11.5 billion in 2015.[2] As the UK leaves the EU we will have the opportunity to create tailored, IP chapters with key markets to support our goal of maximising UK trade and investment opportunities globally. Getting the right outcome for UK inventors, creators and consumers will be key and the UK Intellectual Property Office is working closely with the Department for International Trade to identify areas where we can work collaboratively with new trading partners to improve IP protection. We will also be working closely with a wide range of stakeholders to develop our priorities around trade and IP, including Devolved Administrations, industry and consumers.  [1] IP services includes direct payment for franchises and trademarks, outcomes for research and development and distribution of computer software and audio-visual products[2] ONS Trade in Services by type of service, August 2016 (Pink Book Balance of Payments measure.)

Small Businesses

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received from small businesses on the question of a no deal exit from the EU; and what response he has made to those representations.

Margot James: The Government recognises that a strong relationship with business and industry is absolutely vital in ensuring the best possible deal for the UK. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy therefore regularly engages with a number of businesses organisations on issues including the UKs exit from the EU. The Withdrawal Bill was introduced in July 2017, designed to ensure that the UK exits the EU in a smooth and orderly way. In line with this, the Government is also pursuing a time-limited implementation period to allow small businesses the time they need to adapt to new arrangements, and more generally pushing to ensure the best possible deal for UK citizens and businesses. In the highly unlikely event of a no deal, the Government is making plans to ensure that the UK has made all the relevant preparations in advance of the UK’s exit from the EU.

Renewable Energy: Leigh

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to assist the renewable energy sector in Leigh constituency.

Richard Harrington: This Government has put Clean Growth at the heart of the Industrial Strategy, and our policies are helping support the growth of renewable and low carbon energy across the country.For example, as of 30 September 2017 over 6,400 solar photovoltaic installations are supported under the Feed-in Tariff scheme in the Manchester area, and the domestic RHI scheme has accredited 323 installations within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. Within the non-domestic RHI scheme, there have been 11 accredited installations and 1.8MW of installed capacity in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. The Department does not hold information on which of these fall within the constituency of Leigh, but schemes to support low carbon and renewable energy, such as the Feed-in Tariff, Contracts for Difference and Renewable Heat Incentive are open to participants from across England, Scotland and Wales.Greater Manchester is a leader in taking a ‘whole systems’ approach to the energy system and, through the Greater Manchester Devolution deal, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has committed to work with Manchester to support its ambitious decarbonisation agenda.The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has launched a new £6.95m Local Energy programme to support local areas in England to play a greater role in decarbonisation. This will increase local capacity and capability across England and provide on the ground practical support and expertise to unlock local energy opportunities. It is envisaged that the Manchester will benefit directly from this.Greater Manchester is also one of three pilot locations for the Energy Systems Catapult’s Smart Systems and Heat Programme, participating in the £35m multi-year programme to develop and trial approaches to low carbon heat.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111997, on carbon capture and storage, at what level the Government's ambition will be set for deploying carbon capture usage and storage during the 2030s.

Claire Perry: The Government’s Clean Growth Strategy confirms that the Government’s ambition is to deploy carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) at scale during the 2030s, subject to costs coming down sufficiently. The Government will publish a deployment pathway for CCUS in 2018, informed by the CCUS Cost Challenge Task Force, which will set out the steps needed achieve this ambition.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Ministerial-led CCUS Council will be established; and when that Council is expected to provide its first report to the Government.

Claire Perry: The Department is in the final stages of setting up the Ministerial-led carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) Council. I will be chairing the Council and it will involve senior representatives from across the CCUS sector. The role of the Council will be to advise the Department on the progress made in progressing the Government’s new approach to CCUS and CCUS priorities and will meet two to three times a year.

Energy: Billing

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his policy is on a cap for default tariffs which are not standard variable tariffs; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee are scrutinising the Government’s Draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill. The draft bill would require Ofgem to impose a cap on all standard variable and default tariffs, and defines a default tariff as a rate or amount charged for if the customer fails to choose an alternative rate.

Coal

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much coal was used in the UK for non-power generation purposes in each year since 1992; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: The table below gives the amount of coal used for non-electricity generation purposes for 1992 – 2016:  Thousand tonnes  Thousand tonnes  Thousand tonnes199222,111 200210,813 20129,141199320,620 200310,559 201310,333199419,361 200410,006 201410,061199517,354 20059,794 20158,282199615,889 200610,156 20165,831199715,747 200710,518   199814,564 200810,577   199914,546 20099,037   200013,734 20109,827   200112,919 20119,658Source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics, table 2.1.2, available athttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solid-fuels-and-derived-gases-chapter-2-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes

Insolvency

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union with reference to his Department's paper Providing a cross-border civil judicial cooperation framework: a future partnership, published in August 2017, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK insolvency and restructuring procedures and judgements will continue to be recognised across the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Margot James: The Government’s Civil Judicial Cooperation Future Partnership Paper of August 2017 makes clear that an effective framework of civil judicial cooperation, which includes insolvency law, is an important part of the deep and special partnership we want to establish with the EU. It is in the interests of the UK and the EU that there continues to be an effective framework for resolving cross-border legal disputes after we leave.This will provide confidence and certainty to families, business and individuals, ensuring they can continue to settle cross-border disputes efficiently and effectively in the future. The current rules, on which we hope to model a new agreement, provide a legal route to resolving often difficult or desperate situations.The exact future relationship between the EU and UK on civil judicial cooperation, including the recognition of insolvency and restructuring procedures and judgments, is subject to negotiations with our EU partners.

Insolvency

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's consultation paper A review of the corporate insolvency framework, published in May 2016, which proposals have been identified as priorities for implementation.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to implement the recommendations of the Insolvency Service consultation on the corporate insolvency framework; and what plans he has to reform the current system.

Margot James: Following the publication of the summary of responses to the consultation in September 2016, the Government has continued to engage with a very wide range of interested parties to further discuss and explore issues raised in responses to the consultation. This further engagement will ensure that any reforms, if necessary, will be fit for purpose and best achieve the Government’s aims of rescuing distressed but viable businesses, therefore preserving both value and jobs.

Counterfeit Manufacturing: Imports

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office on how to prevent the import of counterfeit goods; and what additional resources will be required for such purposes after the UK has left the EU.

Joseph Johnson: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are responsible for policy on the enforcement of intellectual property rights at the UK’s borders and Border Force undertake border interventions to prevent the importation of infringing goods. Officials from the Department have regular discussions with HMRC regarding importation of counterfeit goods. It will be for HMRC and Border Force to determine what resources they will require at the borders, after the UK has left the EU.

Nuclear Power

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what engagement the Government has had with small businesses in the nuclear sector on a sector deal for the nuclear industry.

Richard Harrington: I refer the hon Member to the reply I gave to UIN 112441.

Industry: Devolution

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the Government has made of how its industrial strategy will work in tandem with regional devolution deals.

Claire Perry: The Government is committed to ensuring that all areas of the UK succeed. Today we will be publishing our new Industrial Strategy, which will set out how we will drive economic and productivity growth across the country, as well as how we will work with places to create successful local industrial strategies. Local industrial strategies will identify local strengths, future opportunities and the action needed in a particular area to boost productivity, earning power and competitiveness.As set out in the Manifesto, Mayoral Combined Authorities will lead on the development of local industrial strategies. For example, in the budget we confirmed we will work in partnership with the Greater Manchester and West Midlands Mayoral Combined Authorities to develop local industrial strategies for their areas. And in the Government’s overarching vision for the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge Corridor, we invited the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayoral Combined Authority along with the Corridor’s LEPs to begin the development of ambitious local industrial strategies.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of there being no deal between the UK and the EU on car manufacturing in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The Department works closely with the UK automotive industry to understand the impacts and opportunities of leaving the EU. The UK’s automotive industry is world leading and the Government will continue its longstanding programme of support to maintain the international competitiveness of the industry. We want our deep and special partnership with the EU to include automotive, ensuring trade is as free and frictionless as possible with as little disruption as possible to the industry. The Government is focused on securing the best possible deal for the United Kingdom as we leave the European Union.

Insolvency

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy if he will bring forward legislative proposals to facilitate the restructuring at an early stage of viable businesses in order to prevent their insolvency and any adverse consequential effects on other firms and jobs in the supply chain.

Margot James: Government has recently consulted on whether improvements could be made to the existing restructuring options available within the insolvency regime. A summary of responses to this consultation was published in September 2016. Government has continued to discuss the proposals with interested parties and the issues that they raised since this time. This further engagement will ensure that any reforms, if necessary, will be fit for purpose and best achieve the Government’s aims of rescuing distressed but viable businesses, therefore preserving both value and jobs.

Energy: Meters

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes and small businesses have been offered a smart meter as part of the smart meter roll-out programme.

Richard Harrington: We are unable to provide statistics on the number of homes and small businesses that have been offered a smart meter as the Department does not hold this information. The programme gathers information on the number of smart meters installed and operated by energy suppliers. As of 30 June 2017, there were over 7.68 million smart and advanced meters operating across homes and businesses in Great Britain, by both large and small energy suppliers. The regulatory obligation on suppliers, as set out in their licence, is for them to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters in all homes and small businesses by the end of 2020.

Energy: Meters

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what waste and recycling policies he has put in place as part of the smart meter roll-out for (a) old meters, (b) malfunctioning or faulty smart meters and (c) in-home displays and smart meters that have reached the end of their shelf-life.

Richard Harrington: Energy suppliers, their installation contractors or meter asset providers acting on their behalf, are responsible for the proper removal, re-use, recycling and disposal of traditional meters. They have a Duty of Care under existing waste legislation to ensure that waste arising from the removal of meters is appropriately managed. In doing they will determine whether the meter should be re-used, recycled or disposed of. This applies to all metering equipment, including In-Home Displays, be it traditional or smart. Depending on the meter type, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Regulations (for which the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible) may also apply, requiring the original manufacturer of the meter to contribute to the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of the meter.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to implement the tariff guarantee proposal of the December 2016 consultation response on the renewable heat incentive.

Claire Perry: The Government remains committed to introducing the remainder of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Reforms announced in December 2016 as soon as possible. This includes introducing tariff guarantee proposals.The Department aims to lay the remaining RHI reforms before Parliament shortly, followed by a six to eight week period for parliamentary debates.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to protect investments made by biomethane-to-grid develop who met the criteria to be eligible for a tariff guarantee based on the December 2016 consultation response in the renewable heat incentive.

Claire Perry: The Government remains fully committed to these reforms.Biomethane applicants will be eligible for tariff guarantees when they are introduced to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. In addition, for biomethane applicants, the RHI reforms announced in December 2016, introduced tariff uplifts, feed stock restrictions and removal of digestate drying.Applicants entering the scheme between 14 December 2016 and the date on which the regulations come into force, will be able access the higher tariff from the date of coming into force, provided that they also accept the feedstock restrictions and restriction on digestate drying from this same date. Applicants can apply now and access the higher tariffs set out in the government response as soon as the regulations come into force.

Small Business Commissioner

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the proceedings of the Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee of 21 November 2017, how many businesses will fall (a) within and (b) outside the remit of the Small Business Commission.

Margot James: Any business can use the information and guidance provided by the Office of the Small Business Commissioner. For the complaints service, the specifications are set out in the Small Business Commissioner (Scope and Scheme) 2017 regulations, under which businesses with fewer than 50 employees will be eligible to submit a complaint.According to data on business population estimates published by the Department in October 2016, 99.3% of the 5.5 million private sector businesses were small businesses and 99.9% were small or medium-sized (SMEs).

Small Business Commissioner

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the proceedings of the Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee of 21 November 2017, whether the Small Business Commissioner has the capacity to name and shame those businesses which only pay their suppliers after a contractually agreed date; what plans his Department has to review the performance of the (a) Grocery Code Adjudicator, (b) Pubs Code Adjudicator and (c) Small Business Commissioner; and what progress with the Grocery Code Adjudicator was referred to during those proceedings.

Margot James: The Small Business Commissioner has the capacity to name and shame, or name and praise, businesses which have been the subject of an investigated complaint. The details of the complaints scheme, including factors that the Commissioner will consider when deciding whether to name a business, are set out in the draft Small Business Commissioner (Scope and Scheme) Regulations. (a) Under the Groceries Code Adjudicator Act 2013, the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s performance will be reviewed every three years. The first was carried out in October 2016 and the findings were published on 19th July 2017. The next review will cover the period to 31 March 2019.(b) Under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, the operation of the Pubs Code and performance of the Pubs Code Adjudicator will be periodically reviewed. The first review will cover the period to 31 March 2019 and each subsequent review period will cover three years.(c) Under the Enterprise Act 2016, the Small Business Commissioner’s performance will be periodically reviewed. The first review will cover the period until 31 March 2020 and each subsequent review period will cover three years. For all of these statutory reviews, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State will publish the findings of the review and lay a copy before Parliament. At the Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee on 21 November 2017, the progress with the Groceries Code Adjudicator I referred to was in relation to the first performance review of the GCA. It found that the Adjudicator is making effective use of her statutory powers and is effectively enforcing the Groceries Code through collaborative working with the large retailers.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Iran: British Nationals Abroad

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Foreign Office Consular Data 2017, last updated on 15 November 2017, how many of the greater than five items of assistance in Tehran labelled as welfare pertained to the welfare or case status of detained British dual nationals.

Alistair Burt: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office records "welfare" as a separate category of case in its published data. All items of assistance pertaining to detained British nationals are included in data on "arrest/detention". Welfare cases typically cover issues such as homelessness, immigration issues and health issues that do not involve hospitalisation or detention.

Iran: British Nationals Abroad

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Foreign Office Consular Data 2017, last updated on 15 November 2017, how many of the 157 items of assistance in Tehran labelled as consular enquiries pertained to the welfare or case status of detained British dual nationals.

Alistair Burt: Our Consular Contact Centres (in Hong Kong, Malaga and Ottawa) are the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's first line of response for enquiries. If an enquiry is related to an ongoing case from an individual known to the officer managing the case it is at the enquirer’s discretion whether to disclose the subject of the enquiry to the member of staff handling the first line enquiry. From January to October 2017 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received 157 enquiries relating to assistance, six of which the subject was disclosed as relating to detentions in Iran. Our contact centre data does not capture whether the subject of the enquiry is a dual national.

Iran: British Nationals Abroad

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the number of consular access requests the British Embassy in Tehran has submitted to the Iranian Government and judiciary for detained British dual nationals in each month since Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe was detained in April 2016.

Alistair Burt: Official requests from the British Embassy in Tehran are directed to, or via, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our Ambassador is in regular contact with the Iranian Government. In every meeting, he raises our dual national cases, including requesting consular access, not least so we can be assured of their welfare. Iran does not recognise dual nationality, nor is obliged to under international law, and has not granted us consular access to our dual national detainees. We have repeatedly pressed, and will continue to press, for exceptional consular access.

Iran: British Nationals Abroad

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Foreign Office Consular Data 2017, last updated on 15 November 2017, how many of the 12 items of assistance in Tehran labelled as fee bearing services resulted from assistance provided to detained British dual nationals.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has not administered any fee bearing services related to arrest or detention cases in Tehran in 2017. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office does not charge for delivering consular assistance, with the exception of emergency travel documents which are issued to replace a British passport for a specific journey in the case of loss, theft, damage or a passport being otherwise unavailable.

LGBT People

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote LGBT rights overseas.

Mark Field: ​The Government firmly believes that the chance to live with dignity, free from violence or discrimination, should not depend on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. We are committed to a campaigning approach to promote and protect LGBT rights. Ministers and senior officials regularly raise LGBT equality with their counterparts overseas, and over £1.6 million has been committed in 2016-2018 from the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy for projects promoting and protecting the rights of LGBT people globally.​

Iran: Embassies

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2017 to Question 111778 on Iran: Embassies if he will publish a list of chargeable services that apply to the category Attending at consular premises or elsewhere.

Alistair Burt: The fee for 'Attending at consular premises or elsewhere' is charged for the time spent out of office hours by a consular officer or a consular employee in the delivery of the specific services listed in the Consular Fees Table, such as administering an oath or witnessing a signature.

Iran: Embassies

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2017 to Question 111778 on Iran: Embassies, what estimate he has made of the proportion of total fee income received by the British Embassy in Iran for chargeable services paid by (a) associates of British individuals detained in Iran and (b) British individuals detained in Iran.

Alistair Burt: ​No further data is held centrally on the origin of fees received for chargeable consular services by the British Embassy in Tehran.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what practical steps his Department is taking to ensure that the recent military intervention in Zimbabwe enables the restoration of democracy including multi-party elections.

Rory Stewart: I visited Zimbabwe on 23 and 24 November to discuss Zimbabwe’s transition to democracy with actors from across the political spectrum. I stressed the importance of holding free and fair elections in line with the Zimbabwean Constitution and international standards. The UK has existing programmes promoting democratic and economic governance in Zimbabwe and we stand ready to support any new administration seeking to improve human rights, transparency and domestic accountability.​

Burma: Rohingya

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that evidence of rape and sexual assault by the army in Myanmar is collected from refugees in Bangladesh.

Mark Field: The FCO sent two Deployable Civilian Experts to Bangladesh on 14 November, with support from the cross-Whitehall Stabilisation Unit. They will carry out an assessment of the extent of reported sexual violence, the current response to the needs of victims of gender based violence (GBV) in Bangladesh, and identify gaps in service provision and provide recommendations for the UK. They will also conduct a thorough review of the investigation and documentation of sexual violence, through use of the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict and make rapid recommendations on possible UK support in this area.​

Somaliland: Elections

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Somaliland on the announcement on 21 November 2017 of the provisional results of the Presidential election in Somaliland.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Somaliland on the announcement on 21 November 2017 of the provisional results of the Presidential election in Somaliland.

Rory Stewart: The UK has been an active member of a group of international donors supporting Somaliland's National Election Commission to plan, prepare and deliver presidential elections. Throughout the process, our officials have engaged with Somaliland counterparts to reiterate the importance of free and fair elections as well as our commitment to working with any new and legitimate president for the benefit of all the people of Somaliland.Our Ambassador in Somalia met the President-elect on 24 November and released a video statement congratulating the President-elect on 21 November (https://twitter.com/DConcar/status/932995880831127554). The UK was also signatory to an international statement regarding the results released on 21 November (https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/somalia/35955/somaliland-election-statement-international-partners_en).

Uganda: Politicians

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Government of Uganda on the incarceration of Ugandan Members of Parliament.

Rory Stewart: We have raised, on a regular basis, our concerns with the Government of Uganda about recent restrictions on political and civic space, including the arrest of opposition leaders and activists by the Uganda Police Force. We continue to call on the Ugandan authorities to guarantee fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly.

Lake Chad Basin

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the influence of Boko Haram and what support it provides to assist in the development of the Lake Chad region.

Mark Field: ​The UK is working closely with the Nigerian Government and its neighbours to tackle Boko Haram and promote peace and stability in the Lake Chad Basin. We are providing a substantial package of military, intelligence and development support. This includes training for the Nigerian armed forces, supporting Nigerian intelligence analysis; and £5 million to support the Multinational Joint Task Force, the regional military force tackling Boko Haram. We have also increased counter-terrorism cooperation, providing training on response to terrorist attacks and bomb scene management.The UK has led the international response to the humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region caused by the conflict with Boko Haram. In 2016, our support reached more than one million people inlcuding children, women and the disabled. We provided them with food, water, shelter and health care. During their visit to Nigeria in August 2017 the Foreign Secretay and International Development Secretary announced an additional £200 million of humanitarian aid over the next four years.

Lake Chad Basin: Politics and Government

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential risk to the UK of political, ecologic, and economic destabilization in the Lake Chad Basin.

Mark Field: The UK is concerned about the ongoing political, ecological and economic destabilisation in the Lake Chad Basin caused by the ongoing conflict with Boko Haram. Although there is no direct threat to the UK, the current security situation remains fragile. This has resulted in an increased number of Internally Displaced Persons and refugees, further exacerbating the vulnerability of host communities already facing structural challenges such as food insecurity, under-nutrition and limited access to basic social services. Through our political, military and aid engagement, the UK is playing a leadership role in the region to help deal with these problems.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Visits Abroad

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which Ministers of his Department have informed him of meetings held in a personal capacity while they were on private holidays abroad in each of the last two years.

Sir Alan Duncan: This information is not routinely collated.

Egypt: Bomb Disposal

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to provide support to the Egyptian Government for the mapping and disposal of World War Two-era mines in the El-Alamein area.

Alistair Burt: The UK has supported de-mining in Egypt since 2006. UK-supported projects have funded the de-mining of 130,446 acres of land around El Alamein, the provision of artificial limbs for 542 land mine victims, and three mine risk education campaigns benefiting 160,000 individuals. The UK has previously provided maps of minefield locations to the Egyptian authorities.

Christianity

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to prevent the persecution of Christians in countries where they are at risk.

Mark Field: The Government condemns all persecution on the grounds of religious identity, faith or belief and calls upon all state authorities to respect and protect the universal right to freedom of religion or belief. This policy is implemented both in multilateral fora through relevant resolutions at the UN Security Council, most recently Resolution 2379 on 21 September or Human Rights Council, and through raising cases of persecution in individual countries. I regularly raised this issue with my counterparts in the region, including on a visit to Pakistan on 8-9 November 2017. The FCO Magna Carter Fund for Human Rights and Democracy supports projects designed to promote greater tolerance and to create conditions less conducive to extremism and persecution.​​

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart on the implementation of UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in that country.

Mark Field: During my visit in early October 2017 to Colombo and Jaffna, I raised with Foreign Minister Marapana the importance of the Sri Lankan government implementing in full its commitments under UN Human Rights Council Resolution 34/1, which rolled over the commitments made under 30/1. These commitments include the return of all military-held private land, the operationalisation of the Office of Missing Persons, and the development of new counter-terrorism legislation in line with international human rights standards.​The UK is committed to the full implementation of Resolution 34/1 and will continue to support the Government of Sri Lanka in its efforts to promote reconciliation and human rights.

Sri Lanka: International Criminal Court

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the Sri Lankan Government's progress on adopting the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Mark Field: ​Sri Lanka has neither signed nor acceded to the Rome Statute, and has not indicated plans to do so in the near future. The UK coordinates with other EU Member States to promote the universality of the Rome Statute. We encourage non-state parties to accede to the Rome Statute and will offer support to the process of ratifying and implementing the Statute.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart on the involvement of international judges and prosecutors in investigations into war crimes and other human rights abuses (a) during and (b) after the civil war in that country.

Mark Field: During my visit in early October 2017 ​​to Colombo and Jaffna, I raised with Foreign Minister Marapana the importance of the Sri Lankan government implementing in full its commitments under UN Human Rights Council Resolution 34/1, which rolled over the commitments made under 30/1. Resolution 30/1 recognised the importance of a credible accountability process for those most responsible for violations and abuses. It also called for the participation in Sri Lanka's judicial accountability process of Commonwealth and other foreign judges, defence lawyers, and authorised prosecutors and investigators. The UK is committed to the full implementation of Resolution 34/1 and will continue to support the Government of Sri Lanka in its efforts to promote reconciliation and human rights.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on what dates he has held telephone conversations with Aung San Suu Kyi since 25 August 2017; and what the length was of each such conversation.

Mark Field: The Foreign Secretary spoke with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 7 and 14 September and on 21 October. All were substantial conversations.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific (a) requested and (b) held a one-to-one meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi during his visit to Burma in November 2017.

Mark Field: Embassy officials explored the possibility of a one-on-one meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during the ASEM Conference on 20-21 November 2017 but this was not possible. However, the ​Minister of State addressed her directly in his ASEM speeches, and held meetings with senior Burmese ministers, including the Minister of Defence U Sein Win, the State Counsellor’s Chief of Staff U Kyaw Tin Swe and the Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Tin.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Carlingford Lough and Lough Foyle

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions her Department has had with Government of the Irish Republic on potential changes to the management by the UK and Irish Governments of the Foyle and Carlingford Lough from 30 March 2019.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government has no plans to change the management of the Foyle and Carlingford Loughs from 30 March 2019. As set out in our Northern Ireland and Ireland position paper, it is important that EU exit negotiations achieve the UK’s, Ireland’s and EU’s shared objective of upholding the Belfast (‘Good Friday’) Agreement in all its parts, and also that, crucially, the UK and the EU do not do anything to obstruct the wide range of cooperation between Northern Ireland, Ireland and Great Britain in the future partnership. We have made good progress in discussions with the EU within the Northern Ireland and Ireland Dialogue. We have agreed that the Belfast Agreement should be protected in full, including its constitutional arrangements. We have also mapped out areas of cooperation that function on a North-South basis.

Health Services

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the UK medical services sector of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: As part of our work preparing to make a success of our departure from the European Union we are undertaking a broad range of sectoral analysis covering the entirety of the UK economy, including the medical services sector. As both the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy stated in their letter to the Financial Times on 5th July, the UK is fully committed to continuing the close working relationship in this area with our European partners. Our aim is to ensure that patients in the UK and across the EU continue to be able to access the best and most innovative medicines and be assured that their safety is protected through the strongest regulatory framework and the sharing of data.  The UK has one of the strongest and most productive medical services sectors in the world. We are committed to ensuring a positive outcome for the sector, that builds on the success that we are rightly proud of, as we exit the EU.

UK Trade With EU

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a future Association Agreement for the UK with the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Steve Baker: The Prime Minister has been clear that we’re seeking a deal that works for the whole of the UK – not an off the shelf solution. For instance, we are seeking a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement that is of greater scope and ambition than any such existing agreement.As the Government has already made clear, we are undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work that will contribute to our exit negotiations, help to define our future partnership with the EU, and inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks.

Attorney General

Road Traffic Offences: Greater London

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Attorney General, how many successful prosecutions for using a mobile telephone while in control of a motor vehicle were recorded in London in each of the last five years.

Robert Buckland: Regulation 110 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 creates a prohibition on the use of mobile telephones in motor vehicles. All such offences are initially prosecuted by the police. Only those cases where the offence is contested are referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify the number of contested offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates’ courts, rather than the number of successful prosecutions.During the last five years the number of these offences, prosecuted by the CPS in London, was as follows:-2012-20132013-20142014-20152015-20162016-2017Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 { 110 }1,6291,3731,4361,403510Data Source: CPS Management Information SystemThere is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences or the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation.These figures do not reflect prosecutions under the Road Traffic Act for offences of dangerous and careless driving where use of a mobile phone was a factor.

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Attorney General, how many successful prosecutions for using a mobile telephone while in control of a motor vehicle were recorded in each of the last five years.

Robert Buckland: Regulation 110 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 creates a prohibition on the use of mobile telephones in motor vehicles. All such offences are initially prosecuted by the police. Only those cases where the offence is contested are referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Records held by the CPS identify the number of contested offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates’ courts, rather than the number of successful prosecutions.During the last five years the number of these offences, prosecuted by the CPS, was as follows:-2012-20132013-20142014-20152015-20162016-2017Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 { 110 }5,8053,8702,9102,7801,527Data Source: CPS Management Information SystemThere is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences or the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation.These figures do not reflect prosecutions under the Road Traffic Act for offences of dangerous and careless driving where use of a mobile phone was a factor.

Department for International Development

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the availability of (a) food, (b) clean water, and (c) shelter for Rohingya refugees in the Cox’s Bazaar area of Bangladesh.

Alistair Burt: DFID has worked closely with agencies on the ground to increase the supply of food being provided to huge numbers of refugees who have fled from Burma to Bangladesh and is determined to ensure that food is reaching those that need it. DFID is supporting the World Food Programme, which is managing food distribution. DFID assesses that current distribution has reached 70% of the Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh.While approximately 77% of the Rohingya refugee population have access to safe water, around a third of total water sources in the camps are believed to be contaminated. One of the largest cholera vaccination campaigns in the world is underway. The UK is the largest funder of the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, which is providing cholera vaccines for the campaign. We are also looking to increase chlorine provision and promote hygiene standards to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.Emergency shelter materials have been provided to 90% of the refugee population and will have been provided for all refugees by the end of November, after which humanitarian organisations will upgrade shelters to improve their resilience to disasters and extreme weather.

Middle East: Earthquakes

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the priorities for international assistance in connection with the recent earthquake on the border of Iran and Iraq.

Alistair Burt: HMG staff have visited the earthquake affected areas in Iraq to assess priorities for international assistance. DFID Iraq funds have been used to provide emergency cash assistance to around 200 families who are unable to return home. This will allow families made homeless by the earthquake to find temporary rental accommodation, start to make repairs, and replace essential day to day items that have been lost in the rubble so that they can cook, eat, clean, and have a degree of dignity. The assistance will be targeted towards those most in need. HMG also stands ready to offer assistance to Iran and has made this offer to the Iranian authorities. The government of Iran has not requested international assistance so far.

Developing Countries: LGBT People

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of including respect for LGBT rights as a criterion for the provision of development assistance; and if she will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The respect for human rights is already included as a criterion for the provision of development assistance. For all DFID country programmes, we assess a government’s commitment to the UK Partnership Principles, including human rights. In assessing the human rights situation, we aim to achieve a balanced overview of a government’s action and outcomes across the full range of human rights, including civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. Our assessment of a government’s commitment to these principles informs how and to whom we provide aid in that country.

West Bank: Travel Restrictions

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the economic and humanitarian effect of restrictions on the movement of Palestinian people in the West Bank.

Alistair Burt: Various recent international reports (by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations) continue to conclude that Israeli constraints on movement, access and trade remain a key impediment to economic growth and well-being in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), including restricting access to land, water, and medical services and supplies. The UK continues to press for a sustainable two-state political solution which addresses Israel’s legitimate security concerns whilst opening up movement and access for Palestinians.

Gaza: Armed Conflict

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many families remain displaced as a result of the Gaza-Israel hostilities in 2014.

Alistair Burt: According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 5,513 families (some 29,000 people) were still internally displaced as a result of the Gaza-Israel hostilities in 2014 at the end of August 2017.

Developing Countries: Females

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how the Government will analyse progress on implementing Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and women's empowerment in developing countries.

Alistair Burt: It is critical that there is a shared understanding of progress on all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5. This enables us, collectively, to take further action to have maximum development impact and reach those most at risk of being left behind. The UK Government analyses information from various sources when assessing progress on SDG 5, including the United Nations annual Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) report. We also invest in and share research that improves our understanding of the challenges in meeting SDG 5 and what works in responding to these challenges. We work with partners, for example through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s DAC Network on Gender Equality, to share analysis and identify common strategies for making progress towards achieving SDG 5.

Developing Countries: Females

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how the Government plans to collates data from vulnerable and marginalised groups in developing countries when evaluating their progress in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Alistair Burt: It is critical that the experience of vulnerable and marginalised groups is included in assessments of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 5. DFID is supporting our UN partners to assess global progress on the SDGs accurately, by strengthening our data on vulnerable and marginalised groups. Our Data Disaggregation Action Plan, launched in early 2017, outlines our approach to ensuring we leave no one behind in our policy and programmes. This will strengthen our understanding of who, where and why people are at risk of being left behind. It will enable us to empower vulnerable and marginalised groups, and help to ensure they are included in assessments of progress and need, and in development policy and programming.

Developing Countries: Females

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government plans to consult civil society organisations about how to measure progress on Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Alistair Burt: It is critical that there is a shared understanding of progress on all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5. This enables us, collectively, to take further action to have maximum development impact and reach those most at risk of being left behind. We support our UN partners to assess global progress on the SDGs accurately, by disaggregating all relevant DFID programme results and research findings by sex as well as by age, disability and location. Through our regular engagement with civil society organisations, including the Gender and Development Network of 62 non-governmental organisations, we collectively analyse progress, and identify common strategies for making progress towards achieving SDG 5.

Developing Countries: Females

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether he plans to consult businesses about how to measure progress on towards Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Alistair Burt: It is critical that there is a shared understanding of progress on all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5. This enables us, collectively, to take further action to have maximum development impact and reach those most at risk of being left behind. We support our UN partners to assess global progress on the SDGs accurately, by disaggregating all relevant DFID programme results and research findings by sex as well as by age, disability and location. DFID is increasingly developing partnerships and leveraging new opportunities with business to accelerate progress towards achieving SDG 5, and our new Economic Development Strategy commits us to working with the private sector to deliver growth that is socially responsible and empowers women.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance is being provided to the Government of Bangladesh to meet the physical and psychological needs of refugees who have been raped or sexually assaulted in Myanmar.

Alistair Burt: We are aware that Gender Based Violence (GBV) has, and is, taking place and is likely under-reported given stigma, fear, limited availability and lack of awareness of services. We have been clear about the need for the Burmese authorities to end all violence, including GBV, in Rakhine and meeting the needs of survivors is a priority for the UK.The UK is the largest bilateral donor to the Rohingya refugee crisis and we have committed £47 million to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs. The UK is providing funding to a range of NGOs and UN agencies to respond to the needs of Rohingya GBV survivors. Through the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UK is providing counselling and psychological support to over 10,000 women suffering from trauma and over 2,000 survivors as part of a wider response by other donors and agencies on the ground, which is meeting the needs of many more. We are now looking to scale-up our response to GBV with other agencies to meet the needs of survivors.

Belize: Overseas Aid

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much aid her Department has provided in Belize in each of the last 30 years.

Alistair Burt: DFID does not have a bilateral programme with Belize but it benefits from a number of DFID Caribbean regional programmes.The most recent official publication on UK Government spending shows that £422,625.63 of Official Development Assistance (ODA) was spent in Belize in 2016.The Statistics on International Development (SID) publishes an overview of UK spend on International Development in the calendar year; the SID began publishing data in 2009. Since 2009 the UK Government has spent £4,753,199.18 in Belize.Detailed information on ODA spend can be found on the SID website, found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-2017

Lake Chad Basin: Humanitarian Aid

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what humanitarian aid her Department (a) has recently provided and (b) plans to provide to the Lake Chad region.

Rory Stewart: The crisis in the Lake Chad Basin that affects Nigeria, Northern Cameroon, Niger and Chad, is a priority for my Department. In 2017 the UK committed £100m in humanitarian assistance to Northern Nigeria and over £14m to other regions bordering Lake Chad. We have committed £300m to the humanitarian crisis in Northern Nigeria over the next 5 years and £39m to the wider Sahel crisis for 2018.

Department for Education

Department for Education: Brexit

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November to Question 113181, how much her Department has spent on planning for scenarios related to the UK leaving the EU in the 2017-18 financial year; and from which budget lines that spending has been allocated from.

Mr Robert Goodwill: As set out in my answer of 20 November, the Department for Education has reprioritised from within its Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit administrative budget in the 2017-18 financial year to ensure our staff are working in the right areas to be suitably prepared for scenarios related to the UK leaving the EU. The department has not reprioritised any funding away from either our front-line programme or capital budgets for planning for scenarios related to the UK leaving the EU.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many 30-free hours of childcare eligibility codes have been (a) generated and (b) validated in each (i) local authority and (ii) region.

Mr Robert Goodwill: 216,384 eligibility codes for 30 hours free childcare were issued by 31 August for the autumn term. As of 6 November, 200,371 of these eligibility codes have been validated, as referred to in our management information release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility-codes-issued-and-validated. On 19 December we will publish ’30 hours free childcare: Autumn term 2017’, a statistical publication on the first term of 30 hours, which will include a local council breakdown of codes issued and validated.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) childminders and (b) group-based childcare settings rated (i) good, (ii) outstanding by Ofsted and (iii) in total have joined the Early Years Register in each month of the last three years, in each parliamentary constituency.

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) childminders and (b) group-based childcare settings (i) in total, (ii) rated good by Ofsted and (iii) rated outstanding by Ofsted have joined the Early Years Register in each month of the last three years in each local authority.

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) childminders and (b) group-based childcare settings rated (i) good, (ii) outstanding by Ofsted and (iii) in total have left the Early Years Register in each month of the last three years, in each parliamentary constituency.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Ofsted is the non-ministerial government department responsible for the regulation of early education and childcare providers. They publish a regular series of statistics relating to early years providers, which can be viewed from this link:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted/about/statistics.I have informed Ofsted of these three questions and Her Majesty's Chief Inspector will be writing to the hon. Member in response. A copy of that letter will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Adult Education: Greater London

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 110007, how much was spent on delivery by (a) grant and (b) contract-funded providers that delivered in London but were located outside of London in 2015/16.

Anne Milton: The information requested is contained within the attached file.There were 303 approved adult education budget (AEB) providers located outside London that delivered learning to residents of London in 2015/16. Of the 303, 221 were grant funded providers and 82 were contract funded providers. The source for this data is the Individualised Learner Record 2015/16 return, the final funding claims 2015/16 return and the Earnings Adjustment Statement 2015/16.The AEB budget did not exist in its current form in 2015/16 and therefore the Adults Skills budget (excluding apprenticeships), Community Learning and Learner support funding from 2015/16 has been included in the analysis.



Adult education budget subcontractors
(Excel SpreadSheet, 37.28 KB)

Trimega

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Written Ministerial Statement HCWS265 what the timescale is for establishing whether local authorities commissioned tests from Trimega.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Government officials have written to all local councils in England asking them to review whether they commissioned forensic hair strand tests for drug and alcohol use by Trimega Laboratories Limited during the period January 2010 to April 2014, and have requested that they do this by 30 November 2017.

Forensic Science

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 November 2017, Toxicology, HCWS 265, what the timescales are for reviewing case files to identify where test results were relied on by (a) local authorities when making child protection decisions outside the court process and (b) private employers for the purpose of drug and alcohol testing of their employees; and whether people potentially affected by such cases will be informed that their case files are being reviewed.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will require local authorities to write to those affected by the potential manipulation at Trimega in cases in which it may affect child safety and wellbeing decisions.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Officials have written to all local councils in England to ask them to review whether they commissioned forensic hair strand tests for drug and alcohol use by Trimega Laboratories Limited during the period January 2010 to April 2014, and have requested that they do this by 30 November 2017. It is unlikely that decisions about the welfare of children will have been taken solely on the basis of toxicology test results. However, we have asked councils to consider whether any action is necessary to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.  The government has published information for anyone who thinks they have been affected, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forensic-toxicology-tests. Anyone who thinks that they may be affected should contact their local council or seek legal advice from a solicitor or an organisation like Citizens Advice. With regard to the reviewing of case files involving private employers for the purpose of drug and alcohol testing of their employees, the information in the above hyperlink explains that anyone who believes that they may have been the subject of such tests should contact the party who commissioned the test. They may also wish to consult a legal adviser, their union or professional body, or an organisation like Citizens Advice.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the minimum wage on the ability of early years providers to deliver 30 hours of free childcare.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Our ‘Review of Childcare Costs’ looked at both the current costs of childcare provision and the implications of future cost pressures facing the sector, including the National Living Wage. Our new funding rates are based on this review, which was described as “thorough and wide ranging” by the National Audit Office.The government will be investing £1 billion a year to deliver 30 hours of free childcare and increase our hourly funding rates for the free entitlements. The government’s total hourly funding rate for three and four-year-olds (national average to local councils) increased from £4.56 to £4.94 in April 2017. This compares very favourably with research into the cost of childcare, published by Frontier Economics in July 2017, which shows that the mean hourly delivery cost of a three/four-year-old place was £3.72.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many childcare settings are providing 30 free hours of childcare for at least one child; and what estimate she has made of the number of settings that will provide 30 free hours of childcare in the January term.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I am sorry, but the information is not held centrally.

Schools: Children in Care

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that looked-after children are admitted to school at the same age as other children; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Looked after children already start school at the same age as other children. The School Admissions Code requires admission authorities to provide such children highest priority for admission into school. The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 are clear that when a child enters care, everything possible should be done to minimise disruption to their education. Statutory guidance on Promoting Education of Looked After Children suggests that, after an emergency placement, a new educational placement should be secured within 20 school days.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the methods schools will use to raise the first £6,000 for high-needs intervention required by the new funding formula.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities in mainstream schools attract funding to their schools through the formula set by the school’s local authority. The funding formula is decided by each local authority in consultation with its schools, and local authorities are required to delegate funds through the formula to a level that enables schools to meet the additional cost of pupils with SEN up to £6,000 per annum. This constitutes each school’s notional SEN budget. Local authorities use various factors to give an estimate of the number of children with SEN a school is likely to have, and consequently the notional SEN budget that the school will receive. The introduction of a national funding formula for determining schools and local authorities’ funding from April 2018 will not change this arrangement. The School and Early Years Finance (England) Regulations 2017 state that local authorities must identify each school’s notional SEN budget from which schools are expected to meet the additional costs of their pupils with SEN, up to £6,000 per annum. Schools should therefore discuss with their local authority how much is needed for this purpose.

Secondary Education: Finance

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how his Department reached a figure of £4,800 as the assumed figure to deliver secondary education according to the new funding formula.

Nick Gibb: Following consultation on the national funding formula, the Government examined how best it can support schools with lower levels of additional needs funding. A number of consultation replies requested the Government set a minimum level of funding per pupil. A range of different minimum levels of per pupil funding were proposed, but the most commonly suggested level for secondary schools was £4,800. We believe that setting a minimum amount of £4,800 in 2019-20 strikes an appropriate, affordable balance in the formula. The Government does not suggest that £4,800 per pupil is the minimum amount needed to run a secondary school. There is no consensus on the minimum operating cost of a school and we believe it should be for heads and governors to decide their operating model.

Ministry of Justice

Harassment: Court Orders

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to use GPS tracking or similar monitoring when imposing restraining orders.

Dominic Raab: The Government has no plans to use GPS tracking or electronic monitoring devices on those subject to a restraining order.

Legal Aid Scheme: Housing

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the trends in availability of legal aid housing advice; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Raab: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) reviews the availability of advice in housing matters on a regular basis so as to identify any areas where action is required to maintain service provision. Recent analysis has shown a slight downward trend in the number of providers offering these services, but the LAA aims to have at least one Housing provider in each Procurement Area, taking into account the issues of both demand and sustainability. Where any gaps are identified, action - such as undertaking ad hoc ‘expression of interest’ processes - is taken in order to address these. A new tender process for all civil legal aid contracts is due to launch shortly, with services under these contracts beginning in autumn 2018.

Debt Collection

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential number of civilian enforcement officers who will transfer to the private sector as a result of its decision to outsource the work of such officers.

Dominic Raab: No decision has been made yet. Should a decision to include this work be made then 139 HMCTS Civilian Enforcement Officers may be in scope to transfer to a new service provider under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006) if it applies.

Employment Tribunals Service: Linlithgow and East Falkirk

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many employment tribunal claimants in Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency (a) paid fees and (b) have had fees refunded since 2013; what the total sum of fees still to be so refunded to claimants is; and when he intends that refund process to be completed.

Dominic Raab: We do not collect centrally information on the number of claimants in Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency who paid a fee in the Employment Tribunals. We confirmed, following the handing down of the Supreme Court’s judgment in the case of R (Unison) v the Lord Chancellor, that we would put in place arrangements to refund those people who had paid fees in the Employment Tribunals as soon as possible.

Leasehold: Solicitors

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on the role of solicitors who are recommended to buyers by builders who are trying to sell leasehold homes; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Raab: The legal profession is independent of government. Solicitors have a duty under their Code of Conduct to act in the best interests of each client, protect client money and assets, and not allow their independence to be compromised. The Solicitors Regulation Authority is aware that concerns have been raised in the media that solicitors are being recommended to buyers by property developers, and that the risks of purchasing a leasehold house have not always been brought to buyers’ attention, and is monitoring the situation. Homebuyers who have concerns that a solicitor may have breached the Code of Conduct should report this to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and if homebuyers have concerns over poor service provided by a lawyer they can complain to the independent Legal Ombudsman.

Legal Aid Scheme: Children and Young People

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applicants aged (a) under 18 and (b) 18 to 24 have been granted Exceptional Case Funding in each year since 2012-13.

Dominic Raab: Applications to the Exceptional Case Funding scheme which were granted1, by age of applicant, April 2013 to June 2017   FY application receivedUnder 1818-24Apr 2013 - Mar 201414Apr 2014 - Mar 2015820Apr 2015 - Mar 20161372Apr 2016 - Mar 201750125Apr 2017 - Jun 20171534   1 Granted by 31 August 2017 These figures exclude unknowns, which could contain applicants under 18 or 18-24 years old. Unknowns comprise 17% of all applications in 2013-14 but only between 0% and 2% in each subsequent year. This is because client date of birth was only routinely recorded from October 2013 onwards. Figures provided are for applications, not applicants. Individuals may submit multiple applications. The ECF scheme began in April 2013 so figures are only available from this date onwards.

Community Rehabilitation Companies

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State what the original estimated contract value was for each Community Rehabilitation Company contract; what the initial contract value was for each Community Rehabilitation Company prior to the interim agreement modifications; what the actual contract value was for each Community Rehabilitation Company before the second contract modifications; and what the contract value was for each Community Rehabilitation Company after the second modifications.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We have made changes to how CRCs are paid for future years so they can focus on activities that best rehabilitate offenders and keep society safe. This additional investment will see projected payments to providers being no higher than originally budgeted for at the time of the reforms. The information requested can be found in the table below.  



114769 - Table
(Word Document, 50 KB)

Prison Officers: Resignations

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of prison officers at bands 3 to 5 leaving the service in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: HMPPS Band 3-5 officer leaving rates since 2010 can be found in table 8d in the latest set of HMPPS workforce Statistics bulletin at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/her-majestys-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-september-2017

Prison Officers: Resignations

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State, how many and what proportion of prison officers have resigned from the service in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The number of Band 3-5 officers who have resigned from HMPPS each year since 2010 can be found in table 11b in the latest set of HMPPS workforce Statistics bulletin at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/her-majestys-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-september-2017

Young Offender Institutions: Staff

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made on the effect of safety in young offenders institutions of changes in the number of staff employed in those institutions in England since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The number of HMPPS staff employed within young offenders’ institutions each year since 2010 can be found in the table below:Table 1: HMPPS staff in post within young offenders’ institutions each year, 2010 to 2017 As at:Full time equivalent staff in post31/03/20102,06531/03/20112,08231/03/20122,01431/03/20131,95031/03/20141,78731/03/20151,72131/03/20161,71431/03/20171,67530/09/20171,670Note: The establishments included in the table above are Aylesbury, Cookham Wood, Deerbolt, Feltham, Wetherby and Werrington.

Prime Minister

Terrorism: Greater Manchester

Lucy Powell: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her oral Answer of Wednesday 15 November 2017, Official Report, column 366, when she plans to announce the amount of funding which will be allocated to Greater Manchester to manage the aftermath of the terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena; and when she plans to make that funding available.

Mrs Theresa May: I promised in the wake of the appalling atrocity in Manchester that this Government would do all it can to help victims recover and the city to heal. A taskforce has been established within the Cabinet Office to oversee progress and expedite payments when necessary to ensure that Manchester gets the financial support it needs.

Ministry of Defence

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft: Procurement

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many F-35 aircraft his Department plans to purchase.

Harriett Baldwin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 November 2017 to Question 109656 to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Mr Chapman).



109656 - Extract on Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
(Word Document, 12.75 KB)

Type 31 Frigates: Procurement

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on implementing the National Shipbuilding Strategy and procuring the Type 31e frigate.

Harriett Baldwin: We launched the Type 31e programme on 7th September. It is in the pre-procurement phase and we have received expressions of interest from 22 companies against the requirement for an initial order of five ships at a maximum average price of £250 million per ship.

Defence

Neil Coyle: What assessment he has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the defence and aerospace industries.

Harriett Baldwin: We are leaving the EU, but remain fully committed to maintaining Europe’s security. We will ensure our respective industries can continue to collaborate to deliver the battle winning defence and aerospace capabilities we need to keep us safe.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mike Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps his Department has taken to develop the future accommodation model.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Future Accommodation Model aims to modernise the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) approach to Service personnel accommodation increasing flexibility and choice to allow for modern lifestyles, living arrangements and families. The MOD is progressing plans to test this model due to start before the end of next year.

Army: Training

Robert Jenrick: What plans he has to maintain British Army training in Kenya.

Mark Lancaster: There are no plans to stop British Army training in Kenya, and we will be discussing the location of future training with the Kenyan Government.

Defence: Innovation

Vicky Ford: What steps he is taking to encourage innovation by defence suppliers

Harriett Baldwin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Rugby (Mark Pawsey).

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the universal support framework will be published; and whether face-to-face debt advice will be included in that framework.

Damian Hinds: We published the Local Support Services Framework on 11 February 2013. The evidence from the Universal Support trials around joint working to support the needs of our disadvantaged customers informed the DWP Improving Lives policy paper (April 2017). Funding has been made available to Local Authorities to put in place Universal Support delivered locally to help claimants who struggle with the transition to Universal Credit-in particular using online self-service and managing their UC award/managing their money. Universal Support does not cover debt advice however we expect DWP and our partners to identify claimant need and signpost them to available support. We are clear that partnership working is fundamental to the successful implementation of Universal Credit. That is why we have announced that we are exploring with Citizen’s Advice and Citizen’s Advice Scotland the scope for greater collaborative working to help claimants locally as they move to Universal Credit, within the Universal Support framework.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his department has published in how to measure a room subject to the bedroom tax.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which areas of a room may be discounted as non usable floor space from measurements for the removal of the spare room subsidy.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he  plans to review the implementation of the removal of the spare room subsidy.

Caroline Dinenage: We need to keep the system simple for both claimants and landlords. The Government therefore has no plans to review the removal of the spare room subsidy so that local authorities are required to measure bedrooms. When calculating housing benefit, local authorities take account of the number of bedrooms as designated by the landlord and compare this with the composition of the household in order to establish whether or not to apply a reduction due to under-occupation. Information about the size of those bedrooms is not required. It is up to landlords and tenants to decide between them whether a property is appropriate for their needs, including financial viability. The Government provides £60 million per year specifically for this policy, to Local Authorities through Discretionary Housing Payment funding to help support vulnerable people, which includes £25 million per year for disabled people living in significantly adapted accommodation.

Department for Work and Pensions: Postal Services

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what security measures his Department has in place relating to the receipt by his Department of incoming post and parcels; and what discussions he has had with the British Forces Postal Office on providing such services.

Caroline Dinenage: The vast majority of inbound mail for the Department is delivered by Royal Mail to two centralised ‘Mail Opening Units’ (MOUs) operated by Engie, and this response is specific to the way these suppliers handle the departments inbound mail. Royal Mail Royal Mail operates a comprehensive range of policies and procedures to protect and maintain the integrity of our customers’ mail, services and employees. These processes are applied consistently to all outbound and inbound mail carried on behalf of the DWP and citizens. These policies and operating procedures underpin Royal Mail’s operating licence and universal service obligation. Where contracted to do so, Royal Mail also undertakes Security Screening services to identify any potential threats to specific Department sites prior to final delivery. This extends to the security screening services specifically provided to the Department’s Caxton House site in London. The majority of the Department’s inbound mail (posted by citizens of the UK) is diverted to two central processing locations in the West Midlands. While there are no additional measures in place prior to the consolidation of inbound mail, each and every item of mail is subject to the same rigorous standards and duty of care as it is handled through the Royal Mail network from physical collection at DWP sites (or Post Boxes & Post Offices) through to outward processing and final delivery. All items carried by Royal Mail on behalf of the Department and citizens are subject to ‘Inviolability & Interception of Mail Policy’ which dictates that once a postal packet is in the transmission of post (i.e. from posting until delivery) it cannot be delayed, opened or removed from the course of post. This policy is underpinned by the following legislation. Section 104 of the Postal Services Act (PSA) 2000 - Whilst in the course of transmission by post, a letter, packet, parcel or mail bag and/or their contents is immune from “examination, seizure or detention as it would have if it were the property of the Crown.” Section 125(3) of the PSA 2000 - A postal packet shall be taken to be in course of transmission by post from the time of its being delivered to any post office or post office letter box to the time of its being delivered to the addressee”. Section 125(1) of the PSA 2000 - Postal Packets are any letter, parcel, packet or other article transmissible by post. Royal Mail’s security procedures cover each and every activity undertaken within the Royal Mail pipeline. Royal Mail deploys a rigorous vetting process for new recruits. This process includes pre-employment checks including a criminal record check before employment commences. Royal Mail provides all of its people with mail security induction training and regular security communications around compliance with security procedures, policies and standards. In addition to preliminary recruitment processes and on-going coaching to all employees, Royal Mail also supports its service obligations through maintaining a dedicated security team, experienced in security risk management, intelligence gathering, criminal investigation and prosecution. This team also works with a number of law enforcement agencies, Government bodies and industry groups to protect the integrity of the mail. Royal Mail actively encourages its people to be vigilant for any suspicious activity and report any cases where they believe letters may have been intercepted to both Royal Mail and the Police. Engie Engie receives mail from Royal Mail and processes on behalf of the Department at two centralised MOUs. These MOUs have external and internal security systems in place that are subject to annual review and approval by the Department and include systems for both physical and information security. External security - Both MOUs meet and exceed the accreditation standard required by the Department. Each of the MOUs are audited annually by an external independent company and are accredited to ISO27001 from an information security perspective, which covers client information as well as the physical security of both MOU sites. The units feature external perimeter fencing with remote controlled access for all inbound and outbound deliveries or collections, which run alongside a centrally controlled access swipe access system for all staff. External CCTV is monitored 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Internal security - All staff are cleared through Disclosure Scotland checks prior to commencing work. CCTV is operational 24 hours a day. All visitors must provide identification on arrival and are escorted by an MOU staff member at all times during the visit. Suspect Packages - Training and guidance is provided to all mail handling staff, with remedial training completed annually. X-Ray screening facilities are available should any envelope or package be deemed as suspect, with the relevant training and instruction provided to all staff using this equipment. British Forces Postal Services DWP does not have responsibility for British Forces Postal Services, so we are unable to provide the information requested for this element of the question.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will set out the timetable for the publication of his Department's assessment of the yellow card early warning system for benefit sanctions; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: We are currently in the process of agreeing the final draft of the evaluation. There is a standard 12 week clearance and formatting period from the time the final draft is agreed to publication. We will make the publication date available once it has been confirmed.

Mortgages: Interest Payments

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the annual savings to the public purse of including employment and support allowance claimants in the support mortgage interest changes due to take place in April 2018.

Caroline Dinenage: Including Employment and Support Allowance claimants in changes to SMI will save around £65 million in benefit expenditure each year.

Mortgages: Interest Payments

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the (a) Support Group and (b) working group of employment support allowance claim Support Mortgage Interest.

Caroline Dinenage: Estimates of ESA claimants in receipt of SMI, by conditionality group, are as follows: ESA Conditionality GroupCaseloadAssessment Phase3,000Work Related Activity Group9,000Support Group38,000

Employment and Support Allowance: Supported Housing

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of employment and support allowance claimants were also residents of supported housing in the last 12 months.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department does not collect administrative data on the proportion of employment and support allowance claimants who were also residents in supported housing in the last 12 months. The Government recently announced plans for a new flexible funding approach for supported housing. As part of this it has launched two consultations seeking views on the details of the models. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-for-supported-housing

Employment and Support Allowance: Supported Housing

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of residents of supported housing claim Employment and Support Allowance.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department does not collect administrative data on the number and proportion of supported housing residents that also claim Employment and Support Allowance. The Government recently announced plans for a new flexible funding approach for supported housing. As part of this it has launched two consultations seeking views on the details of the models. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-for-supported-housing

Mortgages: Interest Payments

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the changes to support for mortgage interest, to be introduced in April 2018, on individuals with shared ownership of their property.

Caroline Dinenage: Eligibility for SMI loans and the type and level of provision offered will be the same as for SMI as a benefit to provide the same protection against repossession. Any charges placed to secure the SMI loan will only be placed on the claimant’s share of the equity in the property. Help with a shared owner’s rental liability will be available as now, through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.

Bereavement Benefits

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department offers for people in the work-place who have suffered a bereavement; and if he will make a statement..

Caroline Dinenage: Bereavement Support Payment provides short-term financial support to people of working age whose deceased spouse or civil partner had paid sufficient National Insurance contributions. It focuses support on the 18 month period after the death of a spouse or civil partner in order to help with the immediate costs of bereavement. Bereavement Support Payment consists of an initial payment and up to 18 monthly instalments payable to the surviving spouse or civil partner. Recipients with children can receive an initial payment of £3,500 and monthly payments of £350, whilst those without can receive an initial payment of £2,500 and monthly instalments of £100. It is not taxable and is paid on top of any income-related benefits the household receives thus not disadvantaging low income families. It can be paid regardless of whether the surviving spouse or civil partner is in work. Those in receipt of a means-tested benefit or tax credits may qualify for a Funeral Expenses Payment if they are responsible for arranging a funeral. Funeral Expenses Payments provide help towards the cost of a simple respectful funeral. They cover specified necessary costs, for example burial or cremation fees, plus a contribution of up to £700 towards other costs such as funeral directors fees.

Employment: Young People

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help young people into work.

Damian Hinds: The number of young unemployed claimants is continuing to fall. The proportion of young people (aged 16-24) who are unemployed and not in full time education is at a record low of 4.8%. In April 2017 we introduced further intensive support for 18-21 year olds making a new claim to Universal Credit Full Service as it is rolled out. We also believe that early intervention is particularly important, which is why we have introduced Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools, which helps young people make a smooth and effective transition from school to work, training or further study. This support includes advice on the local labour market, ‘soft skills’ employers expect such as team-working and resilience, job search skills such as CV writing and interview techniques, and the promotion of vocational routes into employment.

Employment: Young People

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will work with the Secretary of State for Transport to create travel concessions helping school-leavers find their first job.

Damian Hinds: A scheme already exists for jobseekers of all ages to access help with their travel costs. This is called the Jobcentre Plus Travel Scheme.

Housing Benefit: Students

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons student loans income is taken into account for housing benefit when those loans will be repaid.

Caroline Dinenage: Housing Benefit is an income-related benefit and to ignore the availability of a loan would discriminate unfairly against the majority of students who are not entitled to it. The loan is counted as income because Housing Benefit is not intended to subsidise the financial support available through the educational maintenance system. If the loan were not taken into account, the student would be receiving support that duplicated what was already available via a student loan.

Personal Independence Payment

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish his response to the second independent review into personal independence payments.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the second review of the personal independence payment assessment process.

Sarah Newton: We are still considering the review’s recommendations and plan to respond in due course.

Disability Living Allowance: Multiple Sclerosis

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people with multiple sclerosis making new claims for Disability Living Allowance in 2013 (a) had their claim refused and (b) received an award.

Sarah Newton: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.The available information on the number of individuals in receipt of Disability Living Allowance payments by medical condition is published and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk Guidance for users is available at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Personal Independence Payment

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to ensure that assessors for personal independence payments have at least two years post-registration experience.

Sarah Newton: DWP has set clear requirements on the professions, skills, experience and training of the Health Professionals that the Assessment Providers can use to carry out Personal Independence Payment assessments. Health Professionals must have at least 2 years post full registration experience (this refers to either UK registration or equivalent overseas registration for non-UK HPs) or less than 2 years post full registration experience by individual, prior, written agreement with the Department. Requests by providers to employ Health Professionals with less than 2 years post full registration experience is rare and exceptional. During the period 2015-2017, Independent Assessment Service (IAS) employed 1181 Health Professionals and only requested written approval for 7 Health Professionals with less than 2 years’ experience. Assessment Providers are required to confirm that Health Professionals meet these standards, including the requirements around post registration experience, as part of their recruitment process. Prior to granting approval for a Health Professional to carry out PIP assessments, DWP will also undertake checks to ensure all Health Professionals are registered with the relevant professional bodies.

Personal Independence Payment

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what proportion of random samples of personal independence payment assessments problems with those assessments are identified.

Sarah Newton: The Department has set standards for the quality of assessments which both Personal Independence Payment providers must meet. Our Independent Auditors monitor assessments against these standards. We are continually working with the Assessment Providers to further improve the quality of assessments including increasing clinical coaching, feedback and support available to each assessor. The Department is considering whether it is feasible to produce the statistics requested and, if so, will issue them in an official statistics release in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average salary is of the presenting officers who will represent the Department at personal independence payment and employment support allowance tribunals.

Caroline Dinenage: The majority of presenting officers within DWP are at the Executive Officer (EO) grade. Theinformation requested is not available specifically for presenting officers, however, the averageannual salary for an individual on DWP’s EO generalist pay scales is £25,631.

Employment Schemes: South Yorkshire

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons introduction of the £5 million Early Integrated Employment Support Pilot to help the long-term unemployed in South Yorkshire has been postponed.

Damian Hinds: The Government has not announced that it is postponing the introduction of the Employment Support Pilot. We stand firmly behind the devolution deal that was agreed with all the constituent members of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority. It is therefore important that the constituent members of the Combined Authority now take the remaining steps - to hold a public consultation on the proposed devolution of powers and consent to the order needed, subject to Parliamentary approval, for the full implementation of the deal. The Government will write to the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority shortly to confirm its position on the commitments in the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority devolution deal.

Universal Credit: South Glamorgan

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Cardiff and (b) Vale of Glamorgan he plans to transfer to universal credit by 31 January 2018.

Damian Hinds: The Department is not currently transferring claimants from legacy benefits to Universal Credit. This process is not due to begin until 2019. Some claimants on legacy benefits will experience a change of circumstance which means they will need to make a new claim to Universal Credit, and their entitlement will be re-calculated based on their new circumstances. All claimants in a full service area may naturally migrate following such a change. We would normally begin transferring existing Universal Credit claimants to the full service three months after the transition.

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what was the average waiting time is for mandatory reconsideration decisions to be processed for claimants of Employment and Support Allowance in the most recent year for which data is available in (a) the UK, (b) Greater London and (c) the London Borough of Newham.

Sarah Newton: This information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The latest available information on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) mandatory reconsiderations clearance times in Great Britain can be found in Table 16 of the ESA Outcomes of Work Capability Assessments quarterly statistics published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/employment-and-support-allowance-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessment

Social Security Benefits

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July to Question 3587 on social security benefits, in what circumstances it is unreasonable to expect an individual to undertake any form or amount of work or work related activity.

Sarah Newton: All Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) recipients are divided in to two groups. Those assessed as having Limited Capability for Work (LCW), are placed in the Work-Related Activity Group (WRAG). This means they are required to engage with their Jobcentre Plus work coach, and take reasonable steps to move them closer to the labour market with the aim of being capable of working in the future. They are not required to search for or undertake any form of work. Those assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA), are placed in the Support Group. This means they are not required to participate in any work, work search or, work-related activity, but can choose to access work-related support through the Jobcentre at any point during their claim if they wish to do so. Universal Credit claimants with Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity are not set any work-related requirements and just need to inform DWP if they have a change in circumstances that affects their claim.

Funerals: Costs

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress he has made with respect to paragraph 17 of the Second Special Report of Session 2016-17 of the Work and Pensions Committee, Support for the bereaved: Government response to the Committee’s Ninth Report of Session 2015-16, HC230.

Caroline Dinenage: We are committed to working with stakeholders to improve the scheme, and recently carried out reforms to the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Regulations, to clarify eligibility and simplify the application process. The formal government response can be accessed here, these regulations will come into force from spring 2018.Funeral Expenses Payments continue to cover the necessary costs involved with funerals and cremations, and up to £700 for other funeral expenses. The funding offered from both Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments and Social Fund Budgeting Loans offers an adequate level of support whilst maintaining a fiscally viable fund.

Funerals: Scotland

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has he made with respect to paragraph 18 of the Second Special Report of Session 2016-17 of the Work and Pensions Committee, Support for the bereaved: Government response to the Committee’s Ninth Report of Session 2015-16, HC230.

Caroline Dinenage: We continue to liaise with the Scottish Government on its plans to introduce its own funeral expenses assistance scheme in summer 2019.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Community Plant Variety Office

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to seek observer status of the Community Plant Variety Office after the UK has left the EU.

George Eustice: Leaving the EU presents a major opportunity for UK agriculture. We are working towards achieving the best possible deal for the UK agricultural industry and we want to ensure a deep and lasting agreement with the European Union. For plant variety rights and testing, as with all other areas, future arrangements are subject to negotiation with the EU. We are aware that Article 39 of the Community Plant Variety Rights Regulation offers the possibility of observer status in CPVO’s Administrative Council, which is currently available to accession states and organisations representing the plant breeding industry. The Administrative Council’s main role concerns finance, budgets and management.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Social Media

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people in his Department with responsibility for social media are employed on an (a) full and (b) part-time basis.

George Eustice: The number of staff in my department employed with a responsibility for social media is three. They are all employed on a full-time basis. Recent digital campaigns the team have worked on include:Protecting your backyard flocks from bird flu and bird flu incident messaging (Jan to March), which reached over 600,000 poultry stakeholders and smallholders on Facebook and Twitter.Supporting the evaluation of Environment Agency’s ‘Flood Aware’ campaign and flood incident communications.Ongoing biosecurity campaigns providing advice to travellers as to what they can bring back into the country (‘Know Before You Go’ in conjunction with the Home Office), information on Pet passports and basic water biosecurity to water sports hobbyists (Check Clean Dry)Asian hornet alert to beekeepers in the south west, and encouraging all beekeepers to download APHA/Non-Native Invasive Species Secretariat Asian hornet app

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the annual cost to the public purse is of employing staff as part of the current testing regime for controlling bovine tuberculosis.

George Eustice: The direct costs of TB tests for routine surveillance and control are met by government although no staff in my department are employed full time on TB testing. In England government staff costs associated with TB testing totalled £2,454,234 in 2016-17. In the same year the cost to government of TB testing carried out under contract by delivery partners totalled £17,489,217. Cattle keepers pay for pre- and post-movement TB tests, however they can use a government-funded surveillance test instead if it takes place within the required time period.

Palm Oil

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle the effect of palm-oil production on endangered rainforests.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The UK is committed to supporting implementation of zero-deforestation supply chains for key commodities, including palm oil. We are signatory to the Amsterdam Declarations; have endorsed the New York Declaration on Forests; and are a member of the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020. All of these support action to prevent deforestation and encourage the sustainable production of key commodities. Through our international climate finance, the Government funds a number of programmes in Indonesia and West and Central Africa. These programmes support sustainable palm oil production through strengthening governance, promoting market-based solutions and putting in place the incentives, policies and actions that support sustainable production alongside forest protection.

Rain Forests: Conservation

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) financial and (b) other support the UK has provided to rainforest preservation efforts in each year since 2010.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The UK has pledged at least £5.8 billion of International Climate Finance (ICF) from 2016 until 2021 to support ambitious action by developing countries to mitigate and adapt to the worst impacts of climate change. This includes reducing emissions from deforestation and tackling poverty through the creation of sustainable livelihoods for forest dependent communities. Since the start of the ICF in 2011, the UK has spent just over £800 million on forest and land use programmes, which includes projects that aim to preserve tropical rainforests and combat deforestation. The breakdown of funding each year is: £50 million in FY11-12, £64 million in FY12-13, £120 million in FY13-14, £248 million in FY14-15, £193 million in FY15-16, and £150 million in FY16-17. The UK also undertakes long term research collaboration with tropical forest countries through the Newton Fund. For example, scientists in the UK and Latin America are working together on a new £1.5 million (2017-20) project to develop new biotechnologies through the region’s flora and fauna.

Animal Welfare

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to strengthen animal welfare protection after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The UK already has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and our ambition as we leave the EU is not only to maintain but enhance these standards. We have already set out our plans to introduce mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses, increase sentences for animal cruelty to five years, ban microbeads which damage marine life, and ban the ivory trade to help bring an end to elephant poaching.

Insecticides

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to authorise the use of the insecticide active ingredient, Sulfoxaflor; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of Sulfoxaflor on bees.

George Eustice: Insecticides are only permitted for use if scientific risk assessments find no harmful effect on people and no unacceptable effects on the environment. Assessment and decision-making for active substances takes place at EU level and sulfoxaflor was approved in 2015. Products containing approved active substances can only be used if authorised by the UK. No authorisation has been given to date for any product containing sulfoxaflor. The assessment of any application for such a product would include full consideration of the potential effects on bees.

Flood Control

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many lead local flood authorities have (a) completed and (b) not completed a local flood risk management strategy.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) are required to report on progress with their strategies on an annual basis and the last annual collection was as of 31 March 2017. Following this, I wrote in July to the outstanding authorities and as a result, as of the beginning of November 2017, out of the 152 in England: 143 have completed and published their strategy; and9 have either completed their public consultation or were at public consultation stage on their draft. The Department is continuing to monitor progress with the Lead Local Flood Authorities that have not yet completed their strategy.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Procurement

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information on sustainable procurement his Department has requested from the Ministry of Justice in the last year for the purpose of assessing his Department's performance against Government buying standards.

George Eustice: Defra Commercial has not requested any specific information on sustainable procurement from the Ministry of Justice in the last year for the purpose of assessing that Department's performance against Government buying standards. Defra adheres to Government buying standards on sustainability and has incorporated them into its contracting terms and conditions. From September this year, Crown Commercial required all government departments to adhere to the ‘balanced scorecard’ approach to food procurement.

Animal Welfare

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to maintain its recognition of status of the sentience of non-domestic animals after the UK has left the EU.

George Eustice: The Secretary of State set out the Government’s position in a Written Ministerial Statement on 23 November: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2017-11-23/HCWS267/

European Fisheries Control Agency

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is government policy that the UK will remain in the European Fisheries Control Agency during a transition period after exiting the EU.

George Eustice: Defra is assessing future working arrangements with organisations such as the European Fisheries Control Agency.

Glyphosate: EU Action

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the European Parliament's decision to phase out the use of glyphosphate; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: The Government believes that effective pesticides should be authorised where the scientific evidence shows they do not pose unacceptable risks to human health or the environment. UK and EU specialists have identified no safety concerns which would preclude the continuing use of glyphosate so the Government supports its continued approval. The European Parliament does not have a formal role in the decision-making process for this issue. The decision will be taken by the European Commission following a vote by Member States. That decision will be binding on the UK while we are still within the EU.

Home Office

Terrorism: Finance

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many accounts in UK banks have been frozen as a result of allegations of terrorist financing in each of the last five years.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The Terrorist Asset Freezing etc. Act (2010) and UN asset freezing measures against ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida (2011) provide the mechanisms for the assets of a person, including funds in any bank accounts, to be frozen. An asset freeze is only applied where the relevant legal tests have been met. The number of accounts frozen under these measures at the end of each calendar year are as follows: 20132014201520162017 (to date)9080794241Source: HM Treasury statistics

Drugs: Misuse

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether changes to current UK legislation are needed to allow devolved Governments to introduce harm-reducing measures such as safe-injecting facilities in areas with a high concentration of injecting drug use.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is clear that reducing the harms caused by drugs needs to be part of a balanced approach. The use of prescribed diamorphine is distinct from drug consumption rooms, in which drug users inject illicitly obtained drugs under supervision. A range of offences are likely to be committed in the operation of drug consumption rooms. There are no plans to amend legislation to permit the use of drug consumption rooms.

British Nationals Abroad: Middle East

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many British citizens who have returned to the UK after fighting in Iraq and Syria since 2012 have been prosecuted.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The Home Office Statistical Bulletin publishes data about convictions quarterly but does not distinguish those which relate to Syria and Daesh. British Citizens who are investigated and charged with offences relating to the conflict in Syria will be prosecuted in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.Although official figures do not show how many were Syria or Daesh related, Of the 105 persons charged with a terrorism-related offence in the year ending June 2017, 33 had been prosecuted (as at the time of data provision to the Home Office, 14 July 2017), 32 of which were found guilty. A further 68 were awaiting prosecution.

Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has received any formal complaints on the conduct of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner.

Victoria Atkins: We are aware of a formal complaint being made against the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner towards another organisation and we are taking the appropriate action.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Question 9486, tabled on 7 September 2017.

Mr Ben  Wallace: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 November 2017, UIN 9468.

Homosexuality: Convictions

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s publication, Statistics on disregards and pardons for historical gay sexual convictions, published on 23 October 2017, what estimate she has made of the proportion of cases submitted to the disregards process that have been accepted.

Victoria Atkins: The figures published on 23 October 2017 show the Home Office has received 255 applications pertaining to offences that can be considered for a disregard. For offences to be disregarded, certain criteria must be met, the activity must have been consensual; with a person of 16 or over, and must not be an offence today. Of these 255 applications, 161applications met the required criteria and were granted a disregard.

Licensing Laws

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of granting local authorities powers to reduce the frequency of successful appeals against decisions taken by licensing boards to restrict the sale of cheap, super-strength alcohol.

Victoria Atkins: The Government does not collect information relating to the frequency of successful appeals against decisions taken by licensing committees to restrict the sale of cheap, super-strength alcohol. The Government keeps the Licensing Act 2003 under review and speaks regularly to police and licensing representatives to understand if there are any gaps in the legislation or whether there is a case for new powers.

Immigration: Offenders

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people considered to have participated in acts classified as international crimes have been granted (a) discretionary and (b) indefinite leave to remain in the UK in each of the last seven years and what information her Department holds on those people.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer 16 November 2017 to Question 112540 on Immigration, if she will publish the criteria used by her Department to determine whether an applicant for discretionary or indefinite leave to remain has committed an international crime.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 112540 on Immigration, what categories of crime other than crimes against humanity are used by her Department to assess an applicant's participation in an international crime.

Brandon Lewis: Where there are serious reasons for considering that an individual has committed a war crime, crime against humanity or genocide bringing them within the scope of Article 1F or Article 33(2) of the Refugee Convention, they are not eligible for discretionary leave or indefinite leave. If they cannot be removed from the UK due to a human rights barrier, they may be granted a limited period of leave to remain under the Restricted Leave policy. The Restricted Leave policy is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/575522/Restricted-leave-v2.pdf.We are unable to publish details specific to international crimes as the numbers are so small that this could lead to individuals being identified publicly, in breach of our Data Protection Act obligations.For the purposes of the Refugee Convention, detailed definitions of war crimes and crimes against humanity are contained in Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the International Criminal Court (Rome) Statute which has been incorporated into UK law by the International Criminal Court (ICC) Act 2001. This is available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2001/17/contents.Guidance on applying this in asylum cases is set out for decision makers in the Home Office policy instruction on Exclusion (Article 1F) and Article 33(2) of the Refugee Convention available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-instruction-exclusion-article-1f-of-the-refugee-convention.

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress has been made on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse; and if she will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: The Inquiry is delivering in accordance with the work plan it published in December 2016. Details about the Inquiry's work are published by the Inquiry on its website - www.iicsa.org.uk

Bank Services: Fraud

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many acts of bank fraud against an individual were recorded in each year since 2012.

Mr Ben  Wallace: Data for banking and credit card industry fraud are published by ONS on a quarterly basis. These data will cover frauds against individuals as well as industry bodies. The latest data are for year to June 2017 and are available in Table A5 at the link below: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables The way in which fraud offences are reported and subsequently recorded has changed in recent years. Previously, police forces were responsible for recording fraud offences, however, from April 2011 Action Fraud began gradually taking over the recording of fraud offences on behalf of individual police forces, completing in March 2013. Action Fraud is the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre. The industry bodies Cifas and FFA UK also record data on fraud offences committed against their members. Information on fraud offences prior to the switch to Action Fraud can be found in Table A4 in the same link as provided above.

Immigration

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for leave to remain status in each category were submitted in 2016; and how many were resolved within six months.

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases for leave to remain status submitted in 2016 were designated as being as outside the service level agreement.

Brandon Lewis: Published information on the number of applications for leave to remain in all categories, as well as data on UK Visa and Immigration performance against service standards for applications made in the UK and from overseas, and the proportion of those cases classified as non-straightforward, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration. Where an application is defined as non-straightforward due to complexity, the customer will be written to within the normal processing time to explain why it will not be decided within the normal standard, and to explain what will happen next.

Cybercrime

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her department has made of the level of recorded cybercrime in each of the last seven years.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The Home Office collects information from police forces on the number of police recorded offences that have been committed (in full or in part) online. The online flag became mandatory from April 2015 therefore data prior to this are not available. Information on the number of police recorded offences flagged as having an online element are published as experimental statistics in the ONS ‘Crime in England and Wales’ quarterly bulletins. These data can be found in table E4 of the experimental tables on the ONS website: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesexperimentaltables.

Knives: Crime

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will extend the offence of threatening with a knife to incidents taking place on private property.

Victoria Atkins: Tackling knife crime is a priority for this Government. It is already an offence to threaten someone with a knife whether in public or on private property. On 14 October the Government launched a consultation on proposals for new laws in relation to offensive and dangerous weapons. The consultation document is open until 9 December and is available on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/offensive-and-dangerous-weapons-new-legislation

UK Visas and Immigration: Telephone Services

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2017 to Question 111996 on Visas: Married People, what steps her Department are taking to ensure that sponsors of (a) spousal visa applicants and (b) EEA family permit applicants who reside in the UK are not subject to the charges £1.37 per minute by using the telephone helplines of UK Visa's and Immigration; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Where an application is made overseas UK Visas and Immigration have a chargeable call rates of £1.37 per minute, this charge is levied to fund the contact centre commercial contract as the UK government believes it is right that those who use and benefit directly from the UK immigration system make an appropriate contribution towards meeting the costs of the immigration system. Where an application is made in the UK the customers will contact our in-country contact centre. The contact centres provide information about the Immigration Rules and the Points Based System requirements via a number of published customer enquiry line numbers. In 2014, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, UKVI changed all 0845 and 0870 prefix helpline numbers to lower call tariff rate 0300 prefix numbers. UKVI do not generate any income from these non-geographic numbers enquiry lines. UKVI have in place self selection pages on the Gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk , as well as effective use of informative telephony message on our help lines to further ensure and assist customers wanting to contact UKVI. This initial triaging activity on our website ensures customers are provided with the correct point of contact within our business regarding their in country or overseas application enquiry.

UK Visas and Immigration: Email

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2017 to Question 111996 on Visas: Married People, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that  sponsors of (a) spousal visa applicants and (b) EEA family permit applicants who reside in the UK are not subjected to charges of up to £5.48 for enquiries to UK Visa and Immigration by email; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Where an application is made overseas UK Visas and Immigration have a chargeable email rates of £5.48 per email enquiry, this charge is levied to fund the contact centre commercial contract as the UK government believes it is right that those who use and benefit directly from the UK immigration system make an appropriate contribution towards meeting the costs of the immigration system. Information is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk Where an application is made in the UK the customers will contact our in-country contact centre. The contact centres provide information about the Immigration Rules and the Points Based System requirements via a number of published customer enquiry line numbers. In 2014, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, UKVI changed all 0845 and 0870 prefix helpline numbers to lower call tariff rate 0300 prefix numbers. UKVI do not generate any income from these non-geographic numbers enquiry lines. UKVI have in place self selection pages on the Gov.uk website (see link below), as well as effective use of informative telephony message on our help lines to further ensure and assist customers wanting to contact UKVI. This initial triaging activity on our website ensures customers are provided with the correct point of contact within our business regarding their in country or overseas application enquiry.

UK Visas and Immigration: Telephone Services

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2017 to Question 111996 on Visas: Married People, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the advice his Department provides to sponsors of (a) spousal visa applicants or (b) EEA family permits residing in the UK  to ensure that such people do not pay premium charges for using helplines; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Those who use the services overseas are predominantly prospective customers and in many case no application will be made and no application fee collected. Those that use the services from within the UK will very often already have an immigration status with UKVI, have already paid an immigration fee and will also pay for any additional applications. For UK Visas and Immigration in–country customers the contact centres provide information about the Immigration Rules and the Points Based System requirements via a number of published customer enquiry line numbers. In 2014, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, UKVI changed all 0845 and 0870 prefix helpline numbers to lower call tariff rate 0300 prefix numbers. UKVI do not generate any income from these non-geographic numbers enquiry lines. UKVI have in place self selection pages on the Gov.uk website (see link below), as well as effective use of informative telephony message on our help lines to further ensure and assist customers wanting to contact UKVI. This initial triaging activity on our website ensures customers are provided with the correct point of contact within our business regarding their in country or overseas application enquiry. https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk

Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2017 to Question 113602, on what date his Department plans to publish the results of the review into the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.

Victoria Atkins: The publication date for the report of the review of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 has not been finalised. However, we expect to be able to publish the final report shortly.

Drugs: Misuse

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date her Department received a copy of the publication entitled, An evaluation of the Government's Drug Strategy 2010, prior to publishing that evaluation on its website.

Victoria Atkins: The publication entitled ‘An evaluation of the Government's Drug Strategy 2010’ was produced by Home Office officials and was finalised in June 2017.This report fed into the development of the 2017 Drug Strategy, so they were therefore published together on the Home Office website in July 2017.

Slavery: Children

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases involving British children exploited in (a) gang crime, (b) violence and (c) drug crime has the statutory defence set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 been invoked.

Victoria Atkins: Data on the number and type of cases where the statutory defence set out in section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 has been applied are not collated centrally. The statutory defence could arise in any category of offence and may be a consideration in the decision as to whether to charge an individual in circumstances where the defence could apply.

Counter-terrorism

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of the 27 June to Question 779, how her Department plans to ensure that UK intelligence stays connected to Europe's counter terror operations after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The​ ​UK​ ​will​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​work​ ​with​ ​the​ ​EU​ ​to​ ​preserve​ ​UK​ ​and​ ​European​ ​security, and​ ​to​ ​fight​ ​terrorism​ ​and​ ​uphold​ ​justice​ ​across​ ​Europe.​ ​The​ ​safety​ ​of​ ​the​ ​British public​ ​is​ ​a​ ​top​ ​priority. We have proposed a bold new strategic partnership with the EU, including a comprehensive agreement to support security, law enforcement and criminal justice co-operation after we leave the EU. Our EU cooperation is part of a wider landscape of international counter terrorism work, which includes cooperation through relationships such as Interpol, the Five Eyes, and bilateral work with individual countries.

Passports

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to announce the outcome of the tender to produce new passports.

Brandon Lewis: The outcome of the procurement will be announced in due course.

Immigrants: Detainees

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral evidence of the Minister for Immigration to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 21 November 2017, HC 421, what definition of indefinite her Department uses in relation to immigration detention.

Brandon Lewis: As I explained in my evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 21 November 2017 it is not possible to detain people indefinitely for immigration reasons.

Slavery

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional funding she plans to provide to implement the National Referral Mechanism reforms announced on 17 and 26 October 2017.

Victoria Atkins: The recent announcements on National Referral Mechanism (NRM) reform indicate the Government’s commitment to markedly improve the identification of, and support provided to, victims of modern slavery. Detailed implementation plans for the reform programme are now being developed and the relevant cost implications will be factored into our routine financial planning process.

Human Trafficking: Victims

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many confirmed victims of human trafficking have been granted discretionary leave to remain in each of the last three years?

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average period is for which discretionary leave to remain has been granted to survivors of human trafficking in each of the last three years.

Brandon Lewis: The specific information you have requested is not currently published. Statistics on the total number of people granted discretionary leave for all reasons can be found online at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2017-data-tables

Wales Office

Infrastructure: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Government on additional payments towards infrastructure required as a result of no deal being made on the UK's exit from the EU.

Alun Cairns: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales continues to hold regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a range of issues, including EU exit. We do not want or expect a no deal outcome. However, we have a duty to plan for an alternative to the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached.

Business: Wales

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many visits he has made to businesses in Wales in each of the last 12 months.

Alun Cairns: I positively engage with businesses in Wales via regular meetings, literature and phone calls organised by my Department. I regularly meet with business stakeholders at roundtables, seminars, fairs and other such events and have restructured my department to ensure we put stakeholders at the heart of everything we do and are responsive to their interests and needs. I also routinely meet with my EU Exit Expert Implementation Panel of Stakeholders. In each of the last 12 months, myself and Minister Bebb have made the following number of visits to individual businesses in Wales. In addition to the below, members of the UK Government cabinet regularly visit businesses across Wales. December 20165January 20174February 20177March 20175April 20171May 2017PurdahJune 20173July 20173August 2017Summer Recess - 1September 20178October 20176November 20174

HM Treasury

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many families use a tax-free childcare account for a disabled child.

Tracy Brabin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the savings his Department will accrue in the 2017-18 financial year due to the delayed roll-out of tax-free childcare.

Elizabeth Truss: There are currently 1,187 live Tax-Free Childcare accounts for disabled children. The revised spending for Tax-Free Childcare was published in the Office for Budget Responsibility: Economic and fiscal outlook published on November 2017. This can be found at http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.org.uk/Nov2017EFOwebversion-2.pdf

Tax Avoidance: Luxembourg

Stella Creasy: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy that gains made by non UK residents on sales of UK immovable property which are held by offshore companies held by Luxembourg companies will be subject to UK tax.

Stella Creasy: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn 2017, whether he is consulting on how to ensure non UK residents are not able to avoid paying tax on gains made by the sale of immovable property by declaring these disposals as indirect.

Stella Creasy: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will extend its consultation on tax gains made by non UK residents on UK immovable property sales to include applying stamp duty land tax to offshore investors who hold real estate through special purpose offshore companies and sell shares in those companies.

Stella Creasy: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to prevent people from avoiding capital gains tax and corporation tax paid by non UK residents on UK immovable property by using the provisions of double taxation treaties.

Mel Stride: In April 2015, the government introduced a charge on non-residents’ gains on the direct disposal of UK residential property. At Autumn Budget 2017, the government announced that a charge would be extended to gains made on disposals of all UK residential and commercial property by non-residents, including disposals made indirectly through the sale of shares in a property rich company. A technical consultation was launched at Budget. This is focused on the detailed implementation of this policy, and does not solicit views on wider changes to the UK property tax regime. It is the government’s policy that all double taxation treaties should permit gains on the direct and indirect disposal of UK immovable property to be taxed in the UK. An avoidance rule was introduced with immediate effect from Autumn Budget 2017 to prevent non-residents from abusing existing treaties to avoid the new charge.

Brexit

Stephen Doughty: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2017, if he will publish the assessment on which his plan to set aside a further £3 billion to prepare for the UK's exit from the EU is based.

Elizabeth Truss: The Treasury and DExEU have been engaged with departments on their critical paths and the additional funding from the Reserve in 18/19 and 19/20 is being set aside to ensure funding is available as required for day 1 readiness.

Brexit

Stephen Doughty: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a breakdown of the £700 million of transfers to Departments to prepare for the UK leaving the EU for each calendar month to date.

Elizabeth Truss: The £700m of additional funding already allocated includes £412m of additional funding that DIT, FCO and DExEU received over the parliament that was set out at Autumn Statement 2016. In addition, the Treasury has also allocated £250m from the Reserve to a number of departments in 17/18. Departmental allocations from the 17/18 Reserve will be set out at Supplementary Estimates, in the usual way.

Brexit

Stephen Doughty: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which Departments requested additional funding to prepare for the UK leaving the EU before the Autumn Budget 2017.

Elizabeth Truss: All departments are planning for a number of EU Exit scenarios to make sure we are ready on Day 1. £412m of additional funding was allocated to DIT, FCO and DExEU over the parliament as was set out at Autumn Statement 2016. Over £250m of additional funding has been approved across a number of departments in 2017/18 to prepare for Brexit. Additional funding received from the Reserve for 2017/18 will be set out at Supplementary Estimates in the usual way. Departments are also reprioritising resources to focus on this government priority.

Brexit

Stephen Doughty: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish his assessment of how much of the (a) £100 million spent to date and  (b) additional £3 billion of funding for preparations for the UK leaving the EU announced in Autumn Budget 2017 is required for contingencies in the event of (i) no deal being reached and (ii) a deal being reached.

Elizabeth Truss: HMG is preparing for a range of scenarios, as is the responsible thing to do. At Autumn Statement 2016, HMT announced £412m of additional funding over the parliament for DExEU, DIT and the FCO to allow essential preparations to begin. HMT has also allocated over £250m of additional funding to departments in 17/18. On top of this, £3bn of additional funding was announced by the Chancellor at the Autumn Budget - £1.5 billion of additional funding in each of 2018-19 and 2019-20. The Treasury will be working with departments ahead of allocating additional funding to ensure plans are designed to flexibly handle multiple scenarios wherever possible.

Brexit

Stephen Doughty: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the provisional allocations of funding, broken down by Department, which comprise the additional £1.5billion allocated for preparations for the UK leaving the EU in 2018-19 announced in the Autumn Budget 2017.

Elizabeth Truss: The additional funding in 18/19 has been set aside in the Reserve to ensure funding is available as required. HMT will work with departments and DExEU over the coming weeks to refine estimates of departmental requirements for 18/19 and will allocate funding in early 2018. Departmental allocations from the Reserve will be set out at Supplementary Estimates in the relevant year, as is usual.

Business Premises: Valuation

Bill Esterson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his oral contribution of 22 November 2017, what plans he has for businesses to take responsibility for the revaluation of their own premises.

Mel Stride: Autumn Budget 2017 announced that the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) would revalue properties for business rates purposes every three years, instead of every five, following the next revaluation (currently due in 2022). To enable the VOA to deliver more frequent revaluations, ratepayers will need to provide information regularly on who is responsible for business rates and property characteristics including use and rent. The Government will consult on the detail in due course.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Korn Ferry Hay Group

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what research his Department has commissioned from Korn Ferry Hay Group in the last two years.

Caroline Nokes: None.

Brexit: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he last met the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union to discuss the Welsh Government's priorities for the UK's negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

Damian Green: On 16 October 2017, I chaired the latest meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations). This was attended by the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and representatives from the devolved administrations, including the Welsh Government. The Committee discussed priorities for the future relationship with the EU and agreed the principles that will underpin common UK frameworks.

Electronic Voting

Grahame Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2017 to Question 9559, on electronic voting, whether he will trial electronic voting for parish or town council elections.

Chris Skidmore: The Government does not intend to trial e-Voting for parish or town council elections. As I outlined to the Rt. Hon. Member for Easington in my previous answer to which he refers: the use of e-Voting raises a number of issues which would need to be considered carefully.At present, there are concerns felt by many, that e-Voting may not be suitably rigorous and secure, and could be vulnerable to attack or fraud. To provide a system over which there are doubts, for any type of statutory election, would undermine the value of the votes cast in those polls.

Government Communication Service: NATO

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2017 to Question 109496, how many of those journeys to Brussels used first class travel; and what the total amount spent was on such visits to Brussels.

Chris Skidmore: The total cost of the 11 visits to NATO, Brussels by the GCS Knowledge & Capability Unit was £2,167. No journeys were first class.

Elections

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what representations he has made to the Electoral Commission on Russian interference in UK elections.

Caroline Nokes: The Electoral Commission has announced that it has opened an investigation into potential breaches of campaign finance rules. The Electoral Commission is an independent body and we will await the conclusion of their investigations.

Elections

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department was made aware of Russian interference in UK elections.

Caroline Nokes: As the Prime Minister made clear in her Mansion House speech, Russia makes aggressive use of cyber capability to mount sustained campaigns of espionage and disruption.To date, the Government has not seen evidence of successful interference in UK elections. I take any allegations of interference in UK democratic processes by a foreign government extremely seriously.

Social Services

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to ensure the planned consultation on social care consults (a) local authorities and (b) people with dementia.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, what the planned launch date is for the Government's consultation on social care; who will be involved in that consultation; and whether that consultation will be open for a period of three months or longer.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the planned consultation on social care will adequately consider the needs and experiences of people who are or have been affected by dementia.

Damian Green: The Government has committed to publishing a Green Paper on care and support by summer 2018.In developing the Green Paper, it is right that we take the time needed to debate the many complex issues and listen to the perspectives of experts and care users, building consensus around reforms which can succeed. This is why we are starting a process of initial engagement over the coming months through which Government will work with experts and stakeholders, including representatives from local government, the NHS the voluntary sector and care providers, as well as care users and carers to shape the long-term reforms that will be proposed in the Green Paper. And when the Green Paper is published, it will then be subject to a full formal public consultation, providing a further opportunity for all interested parties to give their views, including Local Authorities and those affected by dementia.

Department for International Trade

Commonwealth: Overseas Trade

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the value of (a) imports to and (b) exports from each region and nation of the UK from and to other Commonwealth countries was in each of the last 30 years for which data is available.

Mark Garnier: Data on the value of UK trade (exports and imports) in goods and services with the Commonwealth countries since 1999 are available from the ONS at:https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/adhocs/007716additionalcountrydatafortradeingoodsandservicesbetween1999and2016 Data on the value of UK trade in goods by UK region with a limited number of Commonwealth countries since 1996 are available from HM Customs and Revenue (HMRC)’s Build Your Own Tables application at:https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/BuildYourOwnTables/Pages/Home.aspx (RTS data) Data on the value of exports of services (excluding travel, transport and financial services) by GB region to a limited number of Commonwealth countries in 2015 are available from the ONS at:https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/internationaltrade/articles/estimatingthevalueofserviceexportsabroadfromdifferentpartsoftheuk/2015 (data for earlier years are not available). Notes:The data at the links above are not comparable due to differences in coverage and methodology between sourcesData on the value of imports of services from the Commonwealth countries are not available

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Football: Nottingham

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to extend the City of Football scheme following the two-year pilot in Nottingham.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect of City of Football status on Nottingham.

Tracey Crouch: Sport England devised and funded the City of Football pilot project. Over the two years of the project (2014-2016), Sport England reported the very positive effect it had on the city of Nottingham. The objective to encourage more people from all backgrounds to play football was achieved with 55% of participants coming from the target audience of 14-25 years, 38% from black and ethnic minorities and 22% from our disabled community. Overall there was greater parity between male and female participants. Sport England also saw community based organisations get closer to the planning and decision making process of how football can be delivered, and highlighted the important contribution of new industries involvement in the delivery of sport and physical activity. This included organisations from the world of gaming and performing arts. Further information and a final report is available on the City of Football website at http://www.city-of-football.uk Sport England have taken lessons learned from the pilot to help inform the selection of their new Local Delivery Pilots https://www.sportengland.org/our-work/local-delivery/investing-in-local-areas/ and to introduce certain conditions to the Football Association’s 2017-21 Award for grassroots football development. Sport England has no plans to extend the project. It was part of a wider programme of investment into existing activity to develop the grassroots game, including funding new facilities, running community programmes and working with partners such as the Football Association, Premier League and the Football Foundation.

Schools: Sports

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how her Department is working with the Department for Education to increase organised sport in schools.

Tracey Crouch: We work closely with the Department for Education on a wide range of issues including children’s and young person’s sport. This includes the Ministerial School Sport Board, which I attend along with the Minister of State for Children and Families and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care. Through the primary PE and sport premium, the government has invested over £600m of ring-fenced funding to primary schools to improve PE and sport since 2013. By using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy, we have doubled the premium funding from £160m to £320m a year. This funding is providing directly to schools to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport they offer.

Sports

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to encourage female and BAME involvement in organised sport.

Tracey Crouch: Government’s strategy ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for An Active Nation’ and Sport England’s strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’ highlight the importance of focusing on groups that are particularly unlikely to take part in sport and physical activity, such as women and girls and some Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups. It places a clear emphasis on putting the customer first and there are some innovative programmes to encourage female and BAME participation in sport, such as the This Girl Can Swim campaign. But as the Government’s sport strategy makes clear, participation is not just about playing sport, and the "Sports Governance Code", launched in October 2016, seeks to ensure the very highest standards of governance across all sport bodies that receive public money, including in terms of diversity, and aims to help the sport sector to be more inclusive and welcoming to all. If sports bodies do not adhere to the code and cannot demonstrate full commitment to becoming compliant with its requirements they will not be eligible to receive public funding.

Football

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of people played football regularly in (a) the UK and (b) Nottinghamshire in each of the last three years; and what proportion of those people were (i) female and (ii) BAME.

Tracey Crouch: According to the most recent data from Sport England's Active Lives Survey which covers the period May 2016 to May 2017, 5.1% of adults in England aged 16+, or 2.3 million adults, played football at least twice in the last 28 days. Of these participants 9.2% (212,000) are women and 90.8% (2.1 million) are men. 12.8% (294,000) of participants are South Asian, 3.2% (74,000) of participants are Black, 0.7% (16,000) of participants are Chinese, 2.5% (58,000) of participants are mixed race, and 1.8% (41,000) of participants are defined as 'Other ethnic group'. Data from the Active Lives Survey covers England only. In Nottinghamshire, 4.8% of adults aged 16+, or 45,000 adults, have played football at least twice in the last 28 days. Of these participants, 8.0% (3,600) are women and 92.0% (41,100) are men. Due to sample sizes it is not possible to provide a breakdown in terms of ethnicity. Historical data on participation rates from the Active People Survey is available at the following links: https://www.sportengland.org/research/about-our-research/active-people-survey/ http://activepeople.sportengland.org/ The Active People Survey covered the period from 2006 to 2016 and is no longer in use. The data is not comparable with data from the Active Lives Survey because the two surveys use different methodologies and questions.

Sports: Young People

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her department has made of the severity of the financial obstacles to youth attendance at professional sporting events; and if she will make a statement.

Tracey Crouch: The cost of attending live sport for all ages is something that must be kept under constant review, and we support a fair deal for fans, but respect that ticket-pricing policies should remain a matter for event hosts. The Government's sport strategy, Sporting Future, recognises how attending live sporting events can benefit individuals, communities and the wider sporting economy. Ten major sporting events supported by UK Sport saw over 1.1 million people attend in 2017, including the IAAF World Championships in London, where over 100,000 children under 16 attended at a ticket price of £9.58, signifying Usain Bolt's 100m world record. The World Para Athletics Championships similarly saw over 100,000 schoolchildren attend, with 30,000 children being transported free of charge by Transport for London as part of a two session ring-fenced school project. The men's and women's World Series Triathlons held in Leeds in June also attracted over 50,000 spectators who were able to enjoy the events for free. Football clubs are also offering concessions on ticket prices and associated costs for all fans, including younger supporters, which the recent BBC Price of Football 2017 study highlighted. Overall, English Football League (EFL) figures show that junior season ticket sales have increased by 37% over the past 10 years with 20% of all EFL club match attendees now under 16 years old. Premier League clubs agreed last season to cap the cost of away tickets to £30 up until 2019, and clubs are helping more with concessions on travel.

Sports: Investment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent estimate she has made of the level of investment in grassroots sport by professional clubs and bodies in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Tracey Crouch: Sport England is the arms-length body of government responsible for investing in and supporting grassroots sport and physical activity. As part of its 2017-21 investment round in national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport, Sport England has awarded over £225 million across 49 NGBs, with over £152 million to support NGB work on participation and over £73 million on NGB talent pathways. Where investment is not derived from Sport England exchequer or National Lottery funding, Sport England does not routinely collect information on the amount of investment into grassroots sport that professional clubs and other non-NGB organisations make. Details of the Exchequer and National Lottery awards that Sport England has made to all organisations since 2009 can be found here: https://www.sportengland.org/funding/our-investments-explained/investments-weve-made/

Gaming Machines

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the economic benefits of reducing the maximum stake on B2 gaming machines.

Tracey Crouch: On 31 October 2017 the Government published a consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machine stakes and prizes and social responsibility measures, including an impact assessment of the potential policy options. The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures

Gambling: Video Games

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October to Question 106042, on gambling: video games, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current legislation in protecting people against loot boxes within computer games.

Tracey Crouch: Consumers of virtual items within video games are protected by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. This includes a requirement on businesses not to subject anyone to misleading or aggressive marketing practices, or, for example, direct exhortation to buy products, such as games content, including in-game purchases such as loot boxes. The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are properly protected and that children’s vulnerability and inexperience is not exploited by aggressive commercial practices. The government’s Internet Safety Strategy sets out how the government will work with online platforms, game publishers and game developers, and with agencies such as the VSC Rating Board, to continue to improve online safety in games. We recognise the risks that come from increasing convergence between gambling and video games. The Gambling Commission is keeping this matter under review and will continue to monitor developments in the market.

Arts

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on the creative industries of there being no deal between the UK and the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Matt Hancock: The Creative Industries are one of the UK’s greatest success stories, contributing over £87 billion to the economy. We have been working closely with the Creative Industries to understand the impacts and opportunities presented by our decision to leave the EU. Following the referendum in June 2016, DCMS continues to make rigorous preparations for a range of possible outcomes from the UK's negotiations with the EU.

Third Sector

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on the third sector of the UK leaving the EU.

Tracey Crouch: The government is continuing to assess the impact of the UK leaving the EU on the third sector. We are gathering information on the challenges and opportunities exiting the EU presents and are listening to the concerns and priorities of civil society organisations. We will continue to work across government to champion the sector’s views during the EU exit process.

Local Press

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111297, if her Department will estimate the trend in print circulation of local and regional news outlets across the UK.

Matt Hancock: As set out in the Conservative manifesto, the government is committed to ensuring there are sustainable business models for online quality news media; part of this work will involve drawing on available data to develop an understanding of the current market at a local, regional and national level.

Tourism: Coastal Areas

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the (a) level and (b) economic contribution of tourism to seaside towns across the UK in each of the last seven years; and if she will make a statement.

John Glen: Coastal tourism is an important part of the UK visitor economy, with domestic overnight and day trip tourism alone offering £8bn to the coastal economy in 2015 according to the GB Tourism Survey. Between 2010 and 2016, annual visitor numbers have also risen by over 5m and now stand at just under 29m. Additionally, 10% of visits (just under 3.8m) to the UK from international visitors included a trip to the coast in 2016.

Uber: Data Protection

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department was made aware of the data breach that occurred at Uber in October 2016.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with Uber on the number of British users of that company's service who were affected by the data breach at that company in October 2016.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with representatives of Uber on steps that company is taking to inform British customers compromised by the Uber data breach in October 2016.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to support British customers compromised by the Uber data breach in October 2016.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Information Commissioner plans to investigate the Uber data breach that occurred in October 2016.

Matt Hancock: I refer the Hon. member to the answers given to the Urgent Question on 23rd November.

Department of Health

Department of Health: Postal Services

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what security measures his Department has in place relating to the receipt by his Department of incoming post and parcels; and what discussions he has had with the British Forces Postal Office on providing such services.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department uses an offsite facility to scan incoming mail to Richmond House and 39 Victoria Street for a range of threats. Any packages or mail delivered directly to these buildings is scanned onsite. The Department has not held any discussions with the British Forces Postal Office.

Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for the negotiations of the next Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme.

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to engage with patient groups on the contents of the next Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme.

Steve Brine: No decision has been made about the timing of negotiations with industry on medicines pricing arrangements for 2019 onwards. The Department has regular and ongoing dialogue with patient representative groups about medicines pricing and access issues, and all those views will help to inform discussions between the industry and the Department on the new arrangements.

Plastic Surgery

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance the NHS makes available to those going abroad for cosmetic surgery.

Mr Philip Dunne: Advice to support people who are considering travelling to another country for cosmetic surgery is published on the NHS Choices website:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-treatments-guide/pages/cosmetic-surgery-abroad.aspx

Nurses

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of hours nurses spent on providing evidence for, or advice to, (a) people with multiple sclerosis, (b) neurology patients and (c) all NHS patients seeking to claim benefits in the last 12 months.

Steve Brine: No estimate has been made.

NHS Trusts: Procurement

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that hospital trusts have sufficient cash flow to pay suppliers in due time.

Mr Philip Dunne: National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts are required to follow the advice within HM Treasury’s ‘Managing Public Money’ which sets out that they are expected to include a clause in their contracts requiring payment of suppliers and the supply chain within 30 days. The Department’s standard ‘NHS Terms and conditions’ for use by NHS trusts and foundation trusts reiterate these terms when procuring goods and services from suppliers. The Department of Health Group’s own Manual for Accounts sets out that NHS bodies must disclose their compliance with the Better Practice Payment Code target (to pay at least 95% of invoices, both for NHS and non-NHS suppliers within 30 days of receipt of an invoice) and detail their performance in their annual reports. The NHS Provider Regulator (NHS Improvement) has also raised awareness of compliance with the Code through its official monthly bulletin. The Department is clear that we do not expect providers to delay paying their suppliers to improve their cash position. If a trust falls into difficulty, interim support is available in exceptional circumstances to ensure suppliers are paid and that patient services are not brought to a halt.

General Practitioners: Mental Illness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support the NHS provides for GPs experiencing mental ill health.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department remains committed to delivering the recommendations set out in the General Practice Forward View published in April 2016 which, as part of a broader package of support, ensures improved access to mental health support for general practitioners (GPs) and trainee GPs who may be suffering from mental ill-health. To this end NHS England has committed to invest an extra £16 million in addition to the £3.5 million already announced in providing a free and confidential specialist occupational mental health service to support GPs.  Source:http://gphealth.nhs.uk/

Self-harm and Suicide

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information he holds on the rates of (a) suicide and (b) self harm for (i) 11 to 18 year olds, (ii) 19 to 24 year olds, (iii) people aged 25 or older in each clinical commissioning group in England in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information is not available in the format requested. Data is not collected on rates of self-harm either nationally or by local area.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish the number of CAMHS Tier 4 beds in (a) 2010 and (b) 2017.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The number of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Tier 4 beds in 2010 is not available. The April 2017 data on the number of CAMHS Tier 4 beds is collected as part of NHS England’s commissioning responsibilities and is not currently published. Provisional data shows that the number of beds in April 2017 was 1,449 (up from 1,263 in January 2014). Final data has not yet been published.

Psychiatry: Vacancies

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many unfilled psychiatry posts there are in England.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information is not available in the format requested. NHS Digital publishes the number of vacancies that are advertised on NHS Jobs, the dedicated online recruitment service for the National Health Service. However, as the basis of the figures is the number of vacancies advertised for the first time in each given month, it is not possible to determine from these figures the number of vacancies live at any given point in time. The figures only cover those vacancies advertised via NHS Jobs, and it is not always possible to determine how many posts are associated with any given advertisement. The latest figures are available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/media/31747/NHS-Vacancy-Statistics-England-February-2015-March-2017-Provisional-Experimental-Statistics-Tables/default/nhs-vac-stats-feb15-mar17-eng-tables

Drugs: Manufacturing Industries

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the pharmaceutical industry of there being no deal between the UK and the EU.

Steve Brine: We are confident that a future partnership between the United Kingdom and European Union, and one that minimising disruption for patients and business, is in the interests of both sides, so we approach these negotiations anticipating success. However, since June 2016, every Government department has been working at pace to build a detailed understanding of how withdrawing from the EU will affect its existing policies and services in a wide range of outcomes. This will ensure that we are prepared both for a negotiated settlement but also for the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached. The Government is engaging with businesses across the economy in order to understand the challenges and opportunities that may impact them in the coming months and years. We understand the need to reduce uncertainty wherever we can, and are working to get the right deal for industry and ensure the UK remains the best possible place to do business. As part of this dialogue, we will be working closely to understand how the Government can support businesses in making the transition outside of the European Union.

Psychiatry: Vacancies

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many unfilled psychiatric posts there are in England.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information is not available in the format requested. NHS Digital publishes the number of vacancies that are advertised on NHS Jobs, the dedicated online recruitment service for the National Health Service. However, as the basis of the figures is the number of vacancies advertised for the first time in each given month, it is not possible to determine from these figures the number of vacancies live at any given point in time. The figures only cover those vacancies advertised via NHS Jobs, and it is not always possible to determine how many posts are associated with any given advertisement. The latest figures are available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/media/31747/NHS-Vacancy-Statistics-England-February-2015-March-2017-Provisional-Experimental-Statistics-Tables/default/nhs-vac-stats-feb15-mar17-eng-tablesHealth Education England recently published a Mental Health Workforce plan which is available at the following link:www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/CCS0717505185-1_FYFV%20Mental%20health%20workforce%20plan%20for%20England_v5%283%29.pdf

Medicine: Research

Fiona Onasanya: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to improve the accessibility and affordability of medicines developed from publicly-funded research.

Steve Brine: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assesses medicines on the basis of their value to patients and to the National Health Service. The source of financial support in developing each medicine is not assessed. The NHS is required by law to ensure that all medicines recommended by NICE are funded within three months, ensuring patient access to cost-effective medicines in England. New medicines are not subject to payments under the voluntary Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme, and NHS England monitors access to innovative medicines via the Innovation Scorecard in recognition of the value this Government places on innovation. Many countries fund research and development (R&D), often at an early stage. Private companies invest in R&D also. It is not possible to assess the contribution made by public investment or private investment in bringing products to market. The Government and its partners recently published the response to the Accelerated Access Review which sets out plans to give patients quicker access to life-changing treatments; and, make the United Kingdom the best place in the world for industry to invest and innovate. A total of £86 million of funding has already been committed to make the vision a reality.

Endometriosis

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons endometriosis is not classified as a disability; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Decisions about what meets this definition are not generally made on the basis of whether or not a person has a specific condition, but on the impact of that condition. The Equality Act 2010 specifies that only a very small number of health conditions are always considered to be disabilities. To support women with endometriosis, all obstetricians and gynaecologists have been trained in the diagnosis, investigation and management of the condition, which is specifically listed as a topic in the core curriculum for obstetrics and gynaecology. In September 2017 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published the guideline ‘Endometriosis: diagnosis and management’ for clinicians. NHS England has developed a service specification for severe endometriosis under the specialised commissioning area of complex gynaecology.

Endoscopy: Training

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical endoscopists have been trained to date as part of the accelerated training programme.

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical endoscopy cohorts have completed training in 2017 as part of the accelerated training programme.

Mr Philip Dunne: To date, 48 clinical endoscopists have completed Health Education England’s accelerated training programme, of which 17 completed training in 2017. A further 40 clinical endoscopists are currently in training across two cohorts and are due to complete the programme in December 2017 and April 2018.

General Practitioners: Halton

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent GPs have been employed in the Halton CCG area in each year since 2012.

Steve Brine: The table below indicates the number of full-time equivalent general practitioners (GPs) employed in Halton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) from 2012 untill September 2017. YearFull-Time Equivalent GPs2017751201672201572201474220136622012762,3 Notes: Data as of 30 September: 1Provisional data.2Excludes locums.3CCGs came into effect on 1 April 2013, for 2012 the figures are reflective of the practices which would subsequently constitute Halton CCG. Source: NHS Digital

Clinical Commissioning Groups

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which CCG's have experienced a reduction in the number of referrals in 2017-18; and by what (a) percentage and (b) number of cases each such CCG's referrals have so reduced.

Steve Brine: The information is not collected in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Official statistics are published by NHS England throughout the year for specific work areas, including consultant-led referral to treatment and cancer waiting times. The publication calendar can be accessed online. This information is published at both provider and commissioner level and can be found at this link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/12-months-statistics-calendar/

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the recent article published by the Lancet entitled The economic case for improved coverage of public mental health interventions; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Public Health England has worked with the London School of Economics to publish the report ‘Commissioning cost-effective services for promotion of mental health and wellbeing and prevention of mental ill-health’ this year, together with the ‘Mental health services: cost-effective commissioning tool’. The main report shows that public mental health interventions such as those outlined in the Lancet article demonstrate value for money and that there is a strong case for investing in them. The evaluation tool provides a way of assessing the return on investment of other such interventions. An accompanying report discusses barriers and facilitators to their implementation. The reports and cost effective commissioning tool are available at:www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-services-cost-effective-commissioning

NHS: Reorganisation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the administrative costs have been for each of the 44 sustainability and transformation plans in England since their commencement.

Steve Brine: Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) are not statutory organisations, but a new way for the National Health Service and local government to work together. NHS England does not collect figures on the administrative costs of STPs. It is for each STP area to decide how best to staff and deliver their plan, bearing in mind the need to keep costs to a minimum.

Endoscopy: Training

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of how many more NHS endoscopies will be performed annually by 2020 by the 200 clinical endoscopists being trained through the accelerated training programme.

Mr Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North West Leicestershire on 15 November 2017 to Question 111943.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of  13 November 2017 to Question 111970, when he plans to publish data on the number of people who waited more than eighteen weeks to enter talking therapies in 2016-2017.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Digital will publish the “Psychological Therapies, Annual report on the use of IAPT services - 2016-17” on 30 November 2017. Source:https://digital.nhs.uk/schedule-of-future-publicationsThis publication will include an analysis of waiting times greater than 18 weeks to enter a course of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies treatment.